SBNation.com - Jim Thome Delivers Walk-Off Blast As Twins Hand White Sox Heartbreaking Losshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2010-08-18T01:41:21-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13931282010-08-18T01:41:21-04:002010-08-18T01:41:21-04:00Jim Thome Delivers Walk-Off Blast As Twins Hand White Sox Heartbreaking Loss
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<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Minneapolis, MN (</font></font><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/54071/postgame">Sports Network</a><font size="2"><font class="TSN1">) - Jim Thome played hero against his former team, drilling a two-run homer off Matt Thornton in the 10th inning, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> edged Chicago, 7-6, to widen their lead to four games over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">White Sox</a> in the AL Central. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Alexei Ramirez hit the tying homer off <span>Matt Capps</span> to start the ninth inning and then singled in <span>Brent Lillibridge</span> with the go-ahead run in the 10th for Chicago, but Thome delivered in a big spot to send Minnesota to its fifth straight win. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Delmon Young singled to center to start the bottom of the 10th and Thome, who played for nearly four full seasons (2006-09) for the White Sox, then clobbered an 0-1 pitch from Thornton (3-4) into the crowd beyond the wall in right field. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Thome's 581 career home runs rank 10th on baseball's all-time list, two behind Mark McGwire. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> After the game, Thome received a celebratory shaving cream pie to the face while he was being interviewed on the field. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> "With them (White Sox) you take it day-by-day, you don't get ahead of yourselves," Thome said. "Any time you can gain ground or gain a game in the standings against a team like that, they can get hot like they did and run off a win streak. Our big thing is to keep the approach we have every day and stay true to our approach. Each of us knows our role and we've done a nice job with that." </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Orlando Hudson and Young both homered off starter <span>John Danks</span>. Thome had three hits and drove in three runs in Minnesota's biggest win yet at new Target Field. Young also had three hits as the Twins moved to 9-4 this season against the White Sox. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Ron Mahay (1-1) retired the final batter in the top of the 10th to get the win in the opener of the big three-game series. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Paul Konerko and <span>Mark Kotsay</span> also homered for the White Sox, who lost for the seventh time in nine games. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Young homered to left field in the fifth, putting the Twins up 5-4. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Thornton escaped a jam in the eighth by retiring <span>Denard Span</span> on a fly ball to center, leaving runners at the corners. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Ramirez then homered to left field, but the White Sox lost an opportunity to add to their lead after loading the bases. Konerko, though, grounded into a 4-6-3 double play with first baseman <span>Michael Cuddyer</span> digging a low throw out of the dirt. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Kotsay and <span>A.J. Pierzynski</span> each singled in the 10th. Ramirez singled beyond diving shortstop <span>J.J. Hardy</span> to give Chicago the short-lived lead. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Hudson homered to left-center in the first inning, Kubel added a two-run triple just after singles from <span>Joe Mauer</span> and Cuddyer. Thome singled in Kubel later in the frame. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Konerko and Kotsay went deep in the second for a 4-3 game. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Thome was thrown out at the plate trying to score on <span>Danny Valencia</span>'s double to end the third, and the White Sox tied it in the fourth on Pierzynski's RBI double. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Twins starter <span>Scott Baker</span> loaded the bases in the fifth, but <span>Glen Perkins</span> got Kotsay on a ground ball to keep the game tied. </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> "We fought back," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "They're playing hard, they played very good. The only thing you can do is go out and get them tomorrow." </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Game Notes </font></font></p>
<p><font size="2"><font class="TSN1"> Hardy missed the previous four games with a sore wrist...Danks allowed 11 hits over his seven innings...Baker yielded four hits in 4 2/3 frames...Chicago left 10 men on base and Minnesota nine. </font></font></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/18/2319510/jim-thome-delivers-walk-off-blast-as-twins-hand-white-soxJeff Sullivan