CLEVELAND -- Jim Thome has many fond memories of
Jacobs Field. He added another one Monday as a member of the
Chicago White Sox.
Thome continued his impressive comeback season with a pair of
two-run homers to lead the White Sox to an 11-0 thrashing of the
Cleveland Indians in the opener of a four-game series.
Thome was plagued by injuries with the Philadelphia Phillies
last season, playing in just 59 games and hitting only seven
home runs with 30 RBIs. Ryan Howard emerged as the first baseman
of the future for the Phillies in Thome's absence, so they
traded the former Indians slugger to the White Sox for center
fielder Aaron Rowand.
Thome has been reborn with the White Sox and continued his surge
with a two-run shot in the first inning to open the scoring and
highlight a four-run outburst.
"He's (Thome's) been healthy this year," Chicago manager Ozzie
Guillen said about Thome. "He's getting to the ballpark early
and getting work done and being in the best baseball shape
possible."
"It started early this season by getting in a rhythm at the
plate," Thome said. "It's been great, but it is still a long
year. I just want to stay consistent."
Paul Konerko hit a solo homer and Juan Uribe added a two-run
shot in the third for the White Sox.
A two-run blast by Thome in the sixth made it 10-0 and gave him
the 36th multi-homer game of his career and first since August
11, 2004 against the Colorado Rockies. It also was his 450th
career homer - moving him past Houston's Jeff Bagwell for 30th
place on the all-time list - and 178th at Jacobs Field.
"Whenever you hit a milestone, it's special," Thome said. "It
just adds to the list of wonderful things that I have done here
(Jacobs Field). When I look back, I will have a lot of memories
in Cleveland."
The beneficiary of Chicago's offensive outburst was Javier
Vazquez (6-3), who was in control throughout and picked up his
second straight win. The righthander allowed only two hits and
three walks in six innings.
"I felt great," Vazquez said. "I had a little trouble with my
command, but getting the runs made it easier."
It was the second straight strong six-inning start for Vazquez
against the Indians. On May 1, he yielded just one unearned run
and matched his season high of seven strikeouts.
"He (Vazquez) threw the ball well," Guillen said. "Anytime you
give up only two his and no runs, you did a good job."
Cleveland starter Cliff Lee (3-5) was victimized for three
homers and did not make it out of the third inning. He allowed
seven runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings and dropped to 1-4 in
his last six starts. Lee has surrendered 28 earned runs and 51
hits in 32 1/3 innings over that span.
"Normally when you are in a stretch you are walking guys or
falling behind in the count," Lee said. "I'm not doing that.
I'm throwing decent pitches to get outs, but the hitters are
just fouling them off."
Lee's continuing struggles were not the only bad news for the
Indians on Monday as third baseman Aaron Boone left the game in
the third inning after falling head-first into a photographer
pit while leaning over a railing to try and catch a foul ball.
Boone was taken to the hospital for a CT scan and X-rays, and
was diagnosed with a mild concussion.
"I'm just glad he is alert," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.
"He's a gamer. He wanted to go back out there."