OAKLAND -- Edwin Jackson overcame a rickety start to hush qualms about the rotation, at least for a day, and the A's woke just in time to salvage a four-game series split with the Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
Jackson's admirable efforts, sprawled across six innings of one-run ball, were at the forefront of an 8-2 victory at the Coliseum, as the A's used a four-run sixth inning to distance themselves from their American League Wild Card competition -- on the scoreboard and in the standings.
The win, which featured a pair of homers from Stephen Piscotty, pushed the A's 5 1/2 games ahead of the Mariners with 24 to play; they remain two behind front-leading Houston, pending the outcome of the Astros' game against the Angels on Sunday night.