Jim Thome knew his 500th homer would be special. He had no idea it would be a game-winner too.
Thome hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday to give the White Sox a 9-7 victory over the L.A. Angels, becoming the 23rd player — and third this season — to reach 500 home runs.
“Just can’t believe it. I really can’t,” Thome said. “I would never have imagined doing that as a walk-off. Just amazing to see your teammates standing there. It’s like a movie script.”
On a day when the White Sox handed out Thome bobbleheads as a promotion, Thome ended his 0-for-11 slump with a blast off Dustin Moseley. Frank Thomas and Alex Rodriguez also hit No. 500 this year.
Thome raised his arm in the air as he rounded the bases, and he was mobbed by his teammates at the plate before he hugged his father and wife. Teammates Bobby Jenks and Jermaine Dye then hoisted the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Thome on their shoulders.
“It’s hard to explain what’s going through me right now,” Thome said. “What a great day. It’s tough to hit home runs when people want you to.”
It was the first time a player hit a game-ending homer for No. 500, and the first time three players reached the plateau in one season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Thome said he hoped his milestone could come during a victory, and it did. Chicago rallied from a 7-1 deficit.
“As it kept going on I tried to tell myself, ‘Relax, relax, just let it happen, let it happen.’ In that situation, especially tied, you’re looking for a ball to drive, and I was having a really hard time seeing with the shadows,” Thome said.
– – –
WHO GAVE IT UP
Dustin Moseley
The slugger drove a 3-2 pitch from reliever Dustin Moseley to left-center for his 28th homer of the season. “There are 499 other guys who gave one up,” Moseley said. “Somebody had to do it, and I can handle it.”
WHO CAUGHT IT
Will Stewart
The 28-year-old from Austin, Texas, was in town for an accounting convention and didn’t know until he came to U.S. Cellular Field on Sunday morning that he had a chance to see baseball history. For returning the ball, Stewart got two White Sox season tickets for next season, the use of Thome’s suite for a Cubs-White Sox game and some signed items by the slugger. Stewart donated the season tickets back to Thome’s charity since he doesn’t live in Chicago.
NEXT SERIES
At Kansas City
Monday: 7:10 p.m., WCIU. RH Javier Vazquez (12-8, 3.90) vs. RH Kyle Davies (2-5, 5.65)
Tuesday: 7:10 p.m., CSN+, CLTV. RH Gavin Floyd (1-3, 5.79) vs. RH Gil Meche (8-12, 3.78)
Wednesday: 7:10 p.m., CSN. RH Jose Contreras (9-16, 5.81) vs. RH Brian Bannister (12-8, 3.39)
Thursday: 1:10 p.m., WGN. RHP Jon Garland (9-12, 4.47) vs. RH Zack Grienke (6-6, 3.88)
Jermaine Dye is 9-for-28 (.321) with four doubles in his last eight games.
