Thome’s 600th homer highlights Minnesota win
DETROIT (AP) – Jim Thome hit his 600th home run an inning after he hit No. 599 to help the Minnesota Twins outslug the Detroit Tigers 9-6 on Monday night.
Thome became the eighth major league player to reach 600, hitting a three-run shot off Daniel Schlereth in the seventh inning to give Minnesota a 9-5 lead.
An inning earlier, Thome reached 599 with a two-run homer off Rick Porcello (11-8) that broke a 3-all tie.
Thome received a standing ovation from the Detroit crowd as he rounded the bases after his milestone homer. His achievement overshadowed a solo shot in the first inning by Detroit’s Delmon Young, who had been traded from the Twins to the Tigers earlier Monday.
Francisco Liriano (8-9) allowed five runs in six innings. Joe Nathan earned his 10th save.
Both of Thome’s homers were hit to the opposite field. When No. 600 cleared the fence in left, Thome raised his right fist as he went around first base, and the crowd in Detroit came to its feet to applaud him.
The Tigers posted a congratulatory message on the scoreboard, and the Twins came out of the dugout to greet him at home plate.
Before Monday’s game, Thome hadn’t homered since Aug. 4.
Thome’s accomplishment capped a memorable day for these AL Central rivals. During the afternoon, the Twins traded Young to the Tigers for a minor league pitcher and a player to be named.
Young homered in his first at-bat for Detroit, and Alex Avila finished a homer shy of the cycle, but the Tigers couldn’t overcome an uneven performance on the mound and in the field.
They couldn’t handle Thome, either. After Jason Kubel started the sixth with a single, Thome hit a drive off Porcello an estimated 412 feet over the fence in left-center.
Ben Revere added an RBI triple later in the inning – and was thrown out trying for an inside-the-park homer.
Avila hit an RBI triple in the bottom half, then scored on a sacrifice fly, but Thome was just getting started.
Schlereth walked two hitters and struck out two before Thome came to the plate. He took another big cut with his powerful left-handed swing and sent a towering fly to left.
For a moment, it appeared Young might have a chance to make a play on the ball, but he could only watch as his former teammate’s hit disappeared over the fence.
