M’s survive rally

SEATTLE – One game after a grand slam helped beat them on Wednesday, the Mariners barely survived another Friday night in a 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Danny Richar’s slam in the seventh inning crushed a five-run cushion the Mariners had built, forcing their bullpen to nervously finish what the M’s had done impressively in building a 5-0 lead through six innings.

“That was too close for comfort for me,” manager John McLaren said.

The victory wasn’t secure until closer J.J. Putz struck out Alex Cintron with two runners on base in the ninth, finishing a key victory for the Mariners.

Winning the first of 44 games in 45 days before the regular season ends, the Mariners gained a half-game on the Angels in the A.L. West standings and remained a half-game ahead of the Yankees in the wild-card race. The Angels split a doubleheader at Boston and lead the Mariners by three games in the A.L. West.

Miguel Batista held the White Sox to three hits in six shutout innings.

Raul Ibanez continued his offensive resurgence, hitting a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw for a 2-0 lead. It was Ibanez’s seventh homer in 10 games after he’d hit six in 97 games.

Jose Vidro hit two sacrifice flies as the Mariners took a 4-0 lead and Jose Guillan scored the winning run on a chopper hit by Adrian Beltre.