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Thome homers as White Sox avoid sweep

Aug 31, 2008 - 10:15 PM By Brian Devine PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Jim Thome smacked a two-run homer and Gavin Floyd pitched effectively to help the Chicago White Sox defeat the Boston Red Sox, 4-2, on Sunday to avoid a sweep of the three-game series.

The White Sox did not take long to jump on Boston starter Tim Wakefield, as Thome belted a two-run homer - his 29th of the season - in the opening frame.

"It was nice to get ahead there," Thome said. "Obviously they have been pitching very well. This was probably one of the bigger wins we have had all year from a momentum end and trying to stop that bleeding. As I said, a big day."

It was Thome's 536th career blast, tying him with Mickey Mantle for 14th all-time.

"To tie Mickey Mantle - you're just speechless," Thome said. "What do you say, what do you say? We talk about it all the time, the history of the game and what those guys have done, and to be a part of that is really hard to talk about. Because when you throw Mickey Mantle's name around, that is one of the greatest home run hitters, for sure."

"That's something nobody can take away from him," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Like I said a couple of days ago, I'm proud to manage this guy, this kid makes the ball club better. Every home run he hits is a milestone but I think he's worried more about us winning than his milestones."

Floyd (15-6), who is 5-0 in his last eight starts, was able to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and settled down after stranding another pair of runners in the second frame.

"We never gave in, so I was just trying to throw as many strikes and get them to swing the bat and put it in play and make my defense work for us," Floyd said. "That is really all I focused on."

The fourth overall pick of the 2001 draft, Floyd ended his outing by retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced.

"When my time comes up every fifth day, I just try to go out there and make pitches and make them swing the bat, that is all I really focus on," Floyd said. "Focus on what pitch I am going to throw and throw it to the best of my ability."

Thome was back at it in the sixth inning when he doubled high off the "Green Monster" against Wakefield, who had retired nine consecutive batters. Thome came around to score to give Chicago a 3-1 lead when Paul Konerko doubled to left field.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Joe Crede added some insurance with a double to left field that allowed rookie Alexei Ramirez to score from first base.

Bobby Jenks, who has converted his last 13 save opportunities, picked up his 27th save despite allowing a run in the ninth as Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak. With the tying run on second, Jenks got Dustin Pedroia to fly out to left field.

"I'm not going to change my gameplan just because one person is hotter than the other, I'm going to do my job the way I do it." Jenks said of pitching to Pedroia, who leads the American League with a .326 batting average.

Wakefield (8-9) tossed six innings and surrendered three runs and six hits in his second start since coming off the disabled list.

"I felt great, no lingering affects at all," Wakefield said. "Obviously they're trying to build my pitch count up again from throwing 55 pitches at a side to 80 in New York (last week) (I was) a little sore the next day. I felt better today and hopefully I can keep building some momentum."

"We couldn't break through. I thought we had some pretty good at-bats," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It is just one of those days. It was a weird game. Wake pitched well, they get back to back hits twice and that's really all they did off him. But it was enough."

Pedroia, who had reached base 11 consecutive times (nine hits), grounded out to the pitcher in the third to end the streak.

"This kid had an unbelievable weekend," Guillen said of Pedroia. "He puts you under a lot of pressure and he's the type of player that keeps coming."