CHICAGO (AP) -- It didn't take long for Jeff Liefer to shake off
any rust against the Seattle Mariners.

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Liefer, in the starting lineup for the first time since in six
days, hit a three-run homer and doubled to help the Chicago White
Sox beat Seattle 6-5 Sunday.

The left-handed hitting Liefer was the designated hitter against
Mariners right-hander James Baldwin. Liefer replaced Frank Thomas,
who is stuck in an 0-for-11 slump.

"I definitely felt a little stale,'' Liefer said. "The first
two strikes pretty much blew right by me. I was just trying to make
contact and (Baldwin) left it out over the plate.''

The homer was Liefer's third this season in 45 games. Last year
he hit 18 in 83 games.

"This year has been tough,'' Liefer said. "I definitely came
into this year hoping to play a lot more than I have.''

Joe Crede and Jose Valentin added solo shots for the White Sox,
who have won five of seven. Crede's home run was his first in the
majors.

White Sox starter Dan Wright (8-10) pitched 6 1/3 innings,
allowing four runs on six hits to earn the win.

After giving up three runs in the first three innings and a
leadoff single in the fourth, Wright settled down to retire 10 of
12 batters.

John Olerud hit his 20th home run -- a two-run shot in the third
inning -- for the Mariners, who also got RBI singles from Bret Boone
and Edgar Martinez.

"Early in the game I started thinking a little bit and didn't
attack the hitters the way I should,'' Wright said. "I think the
home run by Olerud woke me up a little bit and put me back in the
attack mode.''

Antonio Osuna got two outs for his ninth save, allowing a
two-out RBI double to Ruben Sierra in the ninth. But Osuna got Desi
Relaford to pop out with runners at second and third to end it.

The loss trimmed Seattle's lead in the AL West to 2½ games over
Anaheim.

Baldwin (7-9) lasted only 2 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on
eight hits. Reliever Ryan Franklin threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings,
giving up only one hit, before being replaced by Arthur Rhodes.

"He didn't have anything,'' Seattle manager Lou Piniella said
of Baldwin. "Everything was up and he got hit pretty good. He
didn't make good pitches when he had to, that's obvious.''

Seattle took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first on Boone's
single.

The White Sox scored five in the second. After Magglio Ordonez
doubled in the first run, Liefer lofted a three-run homer to left
field.

Crede followed with his first homer, also to left.

Olerud's homer in the third cut it to 5-3.

Valentin's solo homer in bottom half made it 6-3. After Liefer
followed with a double, Baldwin was replaced by Franklin.

The Mariners cut it to 6-4 in seventh. After Wright walked Mark
McLemore with one out, Mike Porzio came in and struck out Olerud.

Keith Foulke then replaced Porzio. After McLemore stole second,
Martinez singled him in.

Game notes
Baldwin went only 3 2/3 innings in his last start, Tuesday
at Toronto (a 14-12 Seattle loss). ... Both starting pitchers
entered having struggled in recent outings. In his last three
starts, Baldwin had allowed 13 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings (7.02
ERA) and was 1-2. In his last two starts, Wright was 0-2, allowing
11 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings (10.61 ERA). ... Thomas pinch-hit
for Liefer against LHP Rhodes in the eighth and walked. ... Crede,
Chicago's rookie third baseman, made an error in his third straight
game.