By Morris Phillips

A wild pitch, a huge win and mild celebration: for the 2014 A’s, the rhythm of things doesn’t change even after the biggest win of the season to date.

The A’s received a gift in Joe Smith’s wild pitch that allowed Coco Crisp to score the winning run in a 2-1 win over the Angels. A pair of wins to start this series between the teams with the best records in baseball has erased the sour taste of last week’s 1-6 road trip and allowed the A’s to regain a share of first place in the AL West.

But for the resurgent home team—looking for the sweep on Sunday—and closer Sean Doolittle, it’s no time to get giddy or sidetracked.

“I think we did a good job of that today: not coming in too high off of last night’s win and getting right back down to business and winning a hard fought ballgame,” Doolittle said. “And that’s going to be key for us tomorrow—as corny and cliché as that sounds—that’s what we’re going to have to do is not look at the big picture. Obviously we’ve got that goal but we’re going to have to take it step-by-step in order to accomplish anything.”

Jon Lester got the start for the A’s and was as advertised, according to manager Bob Melvin, in pitching seven innings and allowing just one, game-tying run in the seventh.

“He brings a lot of tenacity and guys behind him can feel it,” Melvin said.

Lester kept the Angels in control by retiring the leadoff hitter in five of the seven innings and working quickly to benefit the defense behind him. Lester’s night almost ended perfectly but Erick Aybar was able to send the former Red Sox’s offering into center field. Aybar’s hit scored Howie Kendrick and allowed the Angels to tie the game.

But the A’s responded in the eighth, by getting base runners aboard and putting themselves in position to take advantage Smith’s blunder—a fastball that sailed over catcher Chris Ianetta’s glove.  Coco Crisp’s seeing-eye single up the middle started the rally, and he was at third courtesy of a couple of ground outs when Smith uncorked his wild pitch.

The A’s made it stick in the ninth when Doolittle finished the Angels off, allowing only a single to Howie Kendrick in gaining his 20^th save.

The A’s look for the sweep on ESPN’s Sunday Night broadcast with Scott Kazmir facing Jered Weaver of the Angels.