AMERICAN LEAGUE
Minnesota Twins slugger Jim Thome became the eighth Major League Baseball player to hit 600 home runs in a career on Monday, belting two in a 9-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Thome, 40, hit his 599th career homer, a two-run blast to left of center field, off Detroit’s Rick Porcello in the sixth inning, in his third at-bat.
Photo: AFP
It traveled an estimated 125m and gave the Twins a 5-3 lead.
He came to the plate again in the seventh and knocked a 2-1 pitch from Daniel Schlereth over the left field fence for a three-run homer, circling the bases as fans in Detroit gave him a standing ovation.
The Detroit scoreboard lit up with a message congratulating Thome on the feat and his teammates came out to meet him at home plate.
Photo: AFP
“It’s an unbelievable night, obviously,” Thome said. “It’s something you never dream of doing. You dream about it, but when it finally happens it’s kind of surreal.”
Of the eight players to reach 600 homers in a career, the most recent was Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez on Aug. 4 last year.
Thome, who has battled injuries during a difficult season for the Twins, has toiled toward the milestone with relatively little fanfare.
Photo: Reuters
He joined an elite club that includes Rodriguez, who currently has 626 homers, record-holder Barry Bonds with 762, Hank Aaron with 755, Babe Ruth with 714, Willie Mays with 660, Ken Griffey Jr with 630 and Sammy Sosa with 609.
Thome became the oldest player to hit a 600th career homer. Sosa previously held that mark at 38 years, 220 days, reaching the milestone in 2007.
Of the elite group, Rodriguez, Bonds and Sosa have all faced doping suspicions, a cloud that has not touched Thome.
“I thought of my mother,” said Thome, who was also greeted at home plate by his father, wife and children. “She must’ve been looking down upon us and being there with us. I know she’s here in heart and spirit.”
When Thome hit No. 600, it briefly looked as if Detroit left fielder Delmon Young might have a chance to make a play on the ball, but Young, who was traded from Minnesota to Detroit earlier in the day, could only watch the ball go into the Tigers bullpen.
“The only thing I’m really going to miss is not seeing Jim get 600, unless he hits it here,” Young said as he discussed his trade before the game, but did not have to miss it after all.
Since he joined the Twins last season, Thome has been popular with fans and teammates.
He hit 25 home runs last season in just 276 at-bats.
This season has been more difficult, as Thome battled injuries to his toe, oblique and quadriceps.
His milestone homer was just his 11th of the season in his 185th at-bat.
Thome’s last homer before Monday was on Aug. 4. He has hit at least 20 home runs in 17 of his past 18 seasons, the only exception coming in 2005, when he played just 59 games for Philadelphia and hit seven homers.
YANKEES 7, ROYALS 4
He was rejuvenated by a move to the White Sox and he hit 42 home runs in 2006.
In Kansas City, Missouri, Derek Jeter drove in three runs, including two with a triple in the sixth, to lead New York.
A.J. Burnett (9-9) allowed 10 singles and a walk over 5-2/3 innings, but they only resulted in three runs. The right-hander had been winless in 13 starts this month since signing a five-year, US$82.5 million deal with New York, going 0-8.
Brett Gardner added a pair of RBIs and Mariano Rivera got his 31st save for the Yankees.
Felipe Paulino (1-5) allowed five runs on five walks and eight hits in just 5-1/3 innings.
RANGERS 8, ANGELS 4
In Anaheim, California, Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli hit back-to-back homers and Michael Young added a two-run single during a six-run fifth inning to lead Texas over Los Angeles.
Ian Kinsler had four hits and scored three runs, while Josh Hamilton added an RBI double in Texas’ fourth straight win.
Alexi Ogando (12-5) pitched eight-hit ball into the seventh inning for the Rangers, who have won nine of 11.
The Angels lost Garrett Richards to a strained groin muscle in the first inning of his second start. Bobby Cassevah (1-1) gave up one run while pitching 2-2/3 innings in relief of Richards.
ORIOLES 6, ATHLETICS 2
In Oakland, California, Robert Andino hit a bases-loaded double in the seventh inning and Josh Bell added a two-run single as Baltimore picked up a rare victory on the road.
Tommy Hunter (2-2) allowed two runs over 6-2/3 innings to earn his first win with Baltimore. The right-hander, who struck out three and walked one, had been winless in two starts since being acquired in a trade from Texas on July 30.
Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds both homered for the Orioles.
Gio Gonzalez (9-11) gave up four runs and four hits with three walks for the A’s, who have dropped four straight.
MARINERS 6, BLUE JAYS 5
In Seattle, Mike Carp and Casper Wells hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth to lead the Mariners’ comeback victory over Toronto.
Carp, who also homered in the third inning, has a 15-game hitting streak and 17 RBIs this month — the most in baseball. It was his first two-homer game.
Eric Thames and Adam Lind had two-run home runs for the Blue Jays, while Brett Lawrie had a solo shot.
Tom Wilhelmsen (1-0) earned his first win by working a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
Jon Rauch (5-4) gave up one run on three hits in 2/3 of an inning to take the loss.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to lead the Atlanta’s ninth-inning rally as the Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 in the National League on Monday night.
San Francisco closer Brian Wilson (6-4) gave up three hits and two walks in the ninth for his fifth blown save in 40 chances.
The Giants went ahead 3-2 after Nate Schierholtz hit a homer to right in the sixth. Mike Fontenot added an eighth-inning homer off Tim Hudson to make it 4-2 going into the ninth.
It was the Giants first return to Atlanta since beating the Braves in last season’s National League Division Series.
BREWERS 3, DODGERS 0
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Randy Wolf pitched eight effective innings and the Brewers turned a triple play as part of a superb defensive effort in a victory over the Dodgers.
Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Corey Hart each homered for the Brewers, who have won 17 of 19.
Milwaukee converted four double plays and threw out two runners at home, including one on the triple play.
Wolf (10-8) allowed six hits and five walks in eight innings.
METS 5, PADRES 4, 10 INNINGS
In San Diego, California, Scott Hairston drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as New York ended a five-game losing streak with a win over the Padres.
Lucas Duda and Josh Thole both had homers among their three hits, while Thole had three RBIs.
Manny Acosta (1-0) got the win after pitching the ninth. Jason Isringhausen allowed a walk and a single in the 10th, before securing his seventh save in 11 chances this season and the 300th of his career.
Josh Spence (0-2) was credited with the loss after giving up the game-winning run in the 10th.
PIRATES 6, CARDINALS 2
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ryan Doumit matched a career-high with a four-hit game, including a three-run home run, as the Pirates beat St Louis.
Doumit’s homer in the fourth inning off Jake Westbrook (9-7) broke open a 1-1 game and helped Pittsburgh end their three-game losing streak.
Xavier Paul also homered and Neil Walker had two hits for the Pirates.
James McDonald (8-6) pitched 5-2/3 uneven innings to end his three-start winless streak. He allowed two runs and six hits, while walking two and striking out four.
CUBS 4, ASTROS 3
In Houston, Texas, Geovany Soto had three hits and two RBIs, while Kerry Wood earned his first save in over a year as Chicago won for the 12th time in 15 games.
Rodrigo Lopez (4-3) pitched an effective 5-1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs.
Henry Sosa (0-2) allowed four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in six innings for Houston, who have dropped seven in a row and 10 of their last 11.
ROCKIES 7, MARLINS 4
In Denver, Colorado, Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run ninth inning as the Rockies rallied for a victory over Florida.
The Rockies, who had been 0-55 this season when trailing after eight innings, were down to their last out when Dexter Fowler hit a double off Leo Nunez (1-3). Carlos Gonzalez followed with a double to right and Troy Tulowitzki was walked intentionally, before Randy Choate relieved Nunez.
Giambi then hit his 11th home run of the season for the win.
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