White Sox top M’s

CHICAGO – Clayton Richard pitched six innings for his first major league win, Nick Swisher and Jim Thome homered, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 5-0 Tuesday night.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly against his former team, and A.J. Pierzynski had three hits as the White Sox won for the seventh time in eight games and maintained a one-game lead over second-place Minnesota in the A.L. Central.

Richard (1-2), making his fourth major league start, allowed five hits, struck out two and walked one in his first start since he was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

Picked for the U.S. Olympic team, the 24-year-old left-hander reported to Chicago instead of Beijing when the White Sox purchased his contract from Charlotte on July 21.

He was 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA in three starts during his first callup, but he dominated against the miserable Mariners.

He threw one scoreless inning in relief on Sunday to lower his ERA to 9.64.

Richard escaped trouble in the first after his throwing error allowed Ichiro Suzuki to reach second. Miguel Cairo followed with a single, but Nick Swisher fielded Raul Ibanez’s grounder to first, stepped on the bag and threw home for a double play.

Richard maintained his poise after leadoff doubles by Adrian Beltre in the fourth and Ibanez in the sixth.

Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel and Bobby Jenks finished with an inning each.

Felix Hernandez (7-8) lasted just five innings for Seattle.

The Mariners have lost five straight and 10 of 12, dropping to an A.L.-worst 46-79.

Hernandez dropped to 0-2 in his last six starts, giving up five runs, 11 hits and three walks in five innings.

He failed to strike out a batter for the first time in 24 starts this season.