Chicago, IL -- (Sports Network) - Clayton Richard earned his first career victory with six shutout innings as the White Sox blanked the Seattle Mariners, 5-0, at U.S. Cellular Field.

Richard (1-2) allowed five hits, struck out two and walked one for Chicago, which will attempt to sweep this three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. Jim Thome and Nick Swisher homered for the White Sox, who have won four straight and seven of their last eight games overall to remain atop the AL Central with a one-game lead over Minnesota.

"It's nice, especially considering where our team is in the race," said Richard of his first win. "The guys helped me with great defense and our hitting has been good, too."

Felix Hernandez was saddled with the loss for the struggling Mariners, who have lost five straight and nine of their last 10 games overall. Hernandez (7-8) allowed five runs on 11 hits.

Miguel Cairo, Raul Ibanez and Adrian Beltre each produced two hits for Seattle in the loss.

The White Sox opened the scoring in the second. Thome hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a single by Alexei Ramirez and scored on Ken Griffey Jr.'s sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the third, after Richard successfully worked around a two-out double in the top half of the frame, Chicago scored twice to increase its lead to 3-0. Consecutive doubles by A.J. Pierzynski and Carlos Quentin provided the first run before Quentin crossed the plate on a two-out base hit by Ramirez.

Beltre led off the fourth with a ground-rule double, but Richard got three straight outs to escape trouble.

Swisher made it 4-0 with a leadoff homer in the fourth and Thome followed suit when he started the bottom of the fifth by belting a Hernandez hanging slider for his 26th home run of 2008.

"It wasn't a mistake -- he hits the ball good off me all the time," said Hernandez. "And we he does, he gets hits."

Ibanez started the top of the sixth with a double before Richard got two consecutive outs. Wladimir Balentien singled to put runners on first and third, but Richard forced Kenji Johjima to line out.

After Matt Thornton pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for Chicago, Octavio Dotel took the mound for the hosts in the top of the eighth. He surrendered consecutive one-out singles to Ibanez and Beltre, but Jose Lopez flied out and Balentien struck out.

Closer Bobby Jenks needed 22 pitches to complete a scoreless ninth in the non- save situation.

Game Notes:

The White Sox outhit the M's, 14-8...Seattle left 11 runners on base...Quentin has 97 RBI this season...Pierzynski was 3-for-5...Swisher has 19 HRs.