Thome homers White Sox past Tribe

Sep 12, 2007, 21:31 GMT

Chicago, IL - Jim Thome belted his 499th career home run as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-4, in the finale of a three-game set at US Cellular Field.

'It's great,' said Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen on Thome being just one homer shy of 500. 'Now he has a chance to do it here in Chicago. Hopefully he comes through in one of the three games this weekend. It's also great because he is so well revered by his teammates and his wife, daughter and extended family are all here.'

Juan Uribe and Paul Konerko also homered for the White Sox, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Chicago starter Javier Vazquez (12-8) lasted 6 1/3 innings, yielding two runs -- one earned -- on six hits, while walking one and striking out nine.

Jake Westbrook (5-9) went six innings, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts for the Indians, who had a four-game winning streak snapped, and are 5 1/2 games ahead of Detroit, which beat Texas 5-1 on Wednesday, in the AL Central.

'I think Jake threw the ball well,' said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. 'The action on his pitches was good. They did hit a couple of home runs off him but Jake gave us every opportunity to win the ballgame.'

Cleveland jumped ahead in the top of the second on Josh Barfield's two-out single to right, scoring Casey Blake, who had singled.

Uribe, though, tied it in the home half with his 19th homer of the season, a solo shot to left.

Thome homered into the seats in right in the fourth, his 27th of the season.

Chicago added three more runs in the fifth when, with one out, Thome drove in two runs with a single to right and Konerko followed with an RBI single to left.

Blake doubled home a run in the top of the seventh, pulling the Indians within 5-2, but Konerko answered for the White Sox with a two-run homer to left in the home half.

Cleveland's Victor Martinez singled in a run in the eighth, and Grady Sizemore brought home Jason Michaels with a two-out single in the ninth, but Chicago's Bobby Jenks retired Asdrubal Cabrera for the third out to end the threat.

Game Notes

Vazquez won for the first time in four starts... Uribe has three home runs in the last two games... Thome has slugged four homers in the first six games of Chicago's nine-game homestand... Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 11 games...Attendance was 23,537.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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