GAME THREAD: AL: CHI WHITE SOX (65-86) at KANSAS CITY (65-85)

Thome homers twice, Contreras shuts down Royals

<h3>CHI WHITE SOX 7, KANSAS CITY 0</h3>By Marc Bowman
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Jim Thome hit two home runs andJose Contreras threw his second shutout of the season as theChicago White Sox posted a 7-0 victory over the Kansas CityRoyals on Wednesday.


Contreras needed little support as he allowed just five hits tohelp the White Sox (66-86) climb out of last place and ahead ofthe Royals (65-86) in the American League Central Division.

Contreras (10-16), who was sent to the bullpen after losingseven straight in June and July, has gone 4-2 with a 3.64 ERA inseven starts since returning to the rotation on August 17.

"Everything has been clicking since I came back from thebullpen," Contreras said through an interpreter. "The mechanicshave been good, and I give that all the credit."


The 35-year-old righthander walked one and struck out five as hefaced just one batter over the minimum through the first fiveinnings. He went on to record the third shutout of his career,with all three coming in the last two seasons.


"This was the Contreras we know," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillensaid. "He's done this before. The last four or five outings,he has gotten better and better. He kept his pitch count lowand attacked the strike zone early in the count. He wasthrowing the forkball for strikes, and when he does that,there's no doubt in my mind he can be one of the best in thegame."


"This was, obviously, my best outing," Contreras said. "I feltstrong out of the bullpen. It's been a bad year, but this isthe best I have felt. Throwing the first pitch for a strike,that was important. Wherever (catcher A.J. Pierzynski) put theglove, I was able to hit it all night long."


Thome provided more than enough run support, recording the 40thmulti-homer game of his career while adding a double and threeruns scored.


Thome's first homer - a 396-foot shot to left-center field -extended Chicago's lead to 3-0 with one out in the third.

"Thome's homer was big for us," Guillen said. "That makes thegame so much easier for us."


Thome took over the team lead with his leadoff blast in thefifth, a 412-foot line drive to center. It was his 30th homerof the season, marking the 11th time in his last 12 seasons hehas reached the mark.


"I knew the ball Thome hit to center was hit hard, but I didn'tthink it was hit that hard," Royals manager Buddy Bell said.

"To be honest, I thought (center fielder David DeJesus) mightcatch it," Thome said. "When I saw him going back, I thought itmight be over his head but off the wall."


Jose Uribe boosted Chicago's lead to 5-0 in the fourth with atwo-run blast down the left field line, his 20th homer of theseason.


The White Sox jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first. Josh Fieldswalked ahead of Thome's double and scored on a groundout by PaulKonerko. Jermaine Dye's two-out single plated Thome.

"It's a good thing we got a couple of runs early," Guillen said."It helped Jose settle in."


Dye added a second RBI single in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Brian Bannister (12-9) allowed eight hits and six runs in fiveinnings while walking one and striking out one for Kansas City.The rookie righthander has lost consecutive decisions for thefirst time since July 4-16.


"There are a lot of external things in my head right now thatdon't need to be there," Bannister said. "I'm not pitchingrelaxed and I'm not executing the pitches the way that Inormally do."