With all due respect to Mickey Mantle, Jim Thome’s 536th career homer was more significant for what it did for the White Sox than what it meant for Thome’s place among the game’s great sluggers.
Thome tied Mantle for 14th on the home run list with a two-run shot in the first inning Sunday, helping Chicago end a three-game slide with a 4-2 win over the host Boston Red Sox.
“Every home run he hits is a milestone,” Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. “But I think he’s worried more about us winning than his milestones.”
Minnesota beat Oakland 12-4 to remain a half-game back of the White Sox in the Central and moved within 2 1/2 games of Boston in the wild-card race. The Red Sox fell 5 1/2 games behind Tampa in the AL after the Rays beat Baltimore 10-4.
In other AL games, it was Toronto 6, the New York Yankees 2; Detroit 4, Kansas City 2; Seattle 6, Cleveland 4; and Texas 4, the Los Angeles Angels 3.
Thome hit a two-out drive in the first and went 2-for-3 against Tim Wakefield (8-9) after entering just 6-for-49 with two homers against the knuckleballer in his career.
“To tie Mickey Mantle, you’re speechless. What do you say?” Thome said. “It’s really hard to talk about because when you throw Mickey Mantle’s name around, that’s probably one of the greatest home run hitters of all time.”
Thome and Paul Konerko hit consecutive two-out doubles in the sixth to give Chicago a 3-1 lead.
“One guy hurt us, Jim Thome,” Boston’s Kevin Cash said, “and he’s had a pretty good career.”
Thome knew the White Sox needed to end their slide heading into a three-game series at Cleveland, and the players discussed the importance of Sunday’s game before the victory.
“Any time you talk about it, the energy level is there from the start. I think we were ready to go, and it showed,” Thome said. “This was probably maybe one of the bigger wins we’ve had all year.”
Gavin Floyd (15-6) went 6 2-3 innings to win his fifth straight decision. He allowed one run and seven hits against a team that outscored the White Sox 16-4 and outhit them 30-11 in the first two games.
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia singled in the first for his ninth straight hit, reaching safely in 11 consecutive plate appearances. He went 1-for-4 with a walk after going 4-for-4 with a walk in each of the previous two games.
Pedroia had a chance to win the game in the ninth, coming up with runners on the corners and two outs. But he flied out against Bobby Jenks, who picked up his 27th save in 30 opportunities.
The Red Sox were denied their first three-game sweep over the White Sox in Boston since April 1986.
Rays 10, Orioles 4
At St. Petersburg, Fla., James Shields (12-8) allowed one run over seven innings, and Jason Bartlett hit his first homer in over an year to help the AL East-leading Rays complete a sweep.
Bartlett had four hits and drove in two runs, including a solo shot during a two-run seventh that made it 10-1. It was his first homer since Aug. 27, 2007.
Blue Jays 6, Yankees 2
At New York, Roy Halladay won his fourth straight start, giving him four wins over the Yankees this season, and Scott Rolen homered for Toronto.
Halladay (17-9) pitched seven effective innings, allowing only solo homers to Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner improved to 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA in five starts against the Yankees this year.
Rangers 4, Angels 3
At Anaheim, Calif., Josh Hamilton and Marlon Byrd hit home runs and Texas beat the Angels to avoid a sweep of the four-game series.
Kevin Millwood (9-7) won his third straight start, allowing two runs in 6 2-3 innings.
John Lackey (11-3) allowed four runs and nine hits over five innings and struck out five.
Twins 12, Athletics 4
At Oakland, Calif., Justin Morneau homered and drove in four runs, Scott Baker (8-4) won for only the second time since the All-Star break and Minnesota beat the Athletics to earn a split of the four-game series.
Alexi Casilla also homered and Nick Punto added two hits, including an infield single that sparked the Twins’ five-run sixth inning.
Tigers 4, Royals 2
At Detroit, Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in four runs in Detroit’s win over Kansas.
Jose Guillen hit a home run for Kansas City, which has lost 12 of 14.
Kip Wells (0-1) came into a tie game in the eighth and loaded the bases by hitting a batter and walking two. Ramon Ramirez replaced him, and Cabrera ripped Ramirez’s 3-2 pitch into the left-field corner.
Gary Glover (2-3) pitched a perfect eighth inning for the win. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his seventh save in 11 chances.
Mariners 6, Indians 4
At Cleveland, Adrian Beltre homered twice and Seattle beat the Indians to complete a sweep.
Ryan Rowland-Smith (4-2) allowed two runs – one earned – and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings.
Roy Corcoran walked three in a shaky ninth but finished for his second save.
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