Afternoon Box Score: Thome Powers Sox To Victory

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Apr 7, 2009 8:45PM

This afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field, Jim Thome powered the White Sox past the Royals 4-2 in the opening game of the season for both teams. The Royals - who the NY Times predicted could be this year's sleeper - had plenty of chances to win, stranding 11 men on base but it was Thome, who stroked his 542nd career home run with two men on in the eight, that gave the Sox the edge. The Royals' Alex Gordon started the scoring with a solo home run off of starter Mark Buehrle in the second inning, but the Sox drew even in the bottom of the inning when Josh Fields singled in Thome. The Royals' Gordon drove in another run in the fifth to give KC the 2-1 lead, but ultimately the game belonged to Thome. Buehrle looked somewhat shaky, giving up six hits, walking three, and giving up two runs in five innings of work, but the Sox bullpen held the lead over four strong innings with Bobby Jenks earning the save.