Thome’s 499th blast leads ’Sox past Tribe

Chicago snapped Cleveland’s four-game winning streak.

CHICAGO (AP) — Jim Thome is just one away now, and he’s having a whole lot of fun with his pursuit of a memorable milestone.

Thome hit his 499th homer and drove in three runs to lead the Chicago White Sox over the Cleveland Indians 7-4 Wednesday.

“It’s been pretty awesome,” Thome said. “I guess it’s kind of reality now. It’s getting close.”

The White Sox, already eliminated from the playoffs, ended a three-game skid and snapped AL Central-leading Cleveland’s four-game winning streak.

Homered off Westbrook

After flying out to shallow right in his first at-bat, Thome, a former Indian, drove a 2-0 fastball from Jake Westbrook out to right field leading off the fourth inning to give the White Sox a 2-1 lead. It was his 27th of the season.

“You know about it, definitely,” Westbrook said of Thome’s pursuit. “It doesn’t mean I pitch him any differently.”

Thome would become the 23rd to reach 500 and the third this season, following Frank Thomas and Alex Rodriguez.

With a disastrous season coming to a close, the White Sox are in the mood to celebrate something besides contract extensions and upcoming vacations.

“It’s something to look forward to, especially for myself,” said manager Ozzie Guillen, who was just rewarded with a four-year extension despite the team’s woes. “Not many players in the clubhouse have seen a milestone like that.”

Thome, who finished with three hits, came up in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out and sent a broken-bat single into right on Westbrook’s first pitch to drive in two runs.

“You could feel the excitement in the dugout,” the 37-year-old Thome said. “The guys were getting excited. It’s just a matter of going out and not really thinking about it, but it’s tough.”

Thome spent about three weeks on the disabled list this season and has missed 30 games after earning AL Comeback Player of the Year honors last year with 42 homers and 107 RBIs. He homered in three straight games last week, hitting No. 498 off Minnesota’s Juan Rincon on Sunday.

Thome singled again with two outs in the seventh and Paul Konerko drove him in with his 29th homer, a shot that was disputed by the Indians, who thought the ball went wide of the foul pole in left. After huddling up in the infield, the umpires ruled it fair.

“It was foul,” Indians third baseman Casey Blake said. “Not by much. [Third base umpire] Rob Drake is a good umpire, he’s not going to get him all right, but I can tell it was foul.”