Jim Thome hits his 500th home run

Jim Thome's 500th homer was a game-winner.

Thome hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 9-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, becoming the 23rd player _ and third this season _ to reach 500 home runs.

The slugger drove a 3-2 pitch from reliever Dustin Moseley to left-center, ending an 0-for-11 slump and reaching the milestone in style. Frank Thomas and Alex Rodriguez also hit No. 500 this year.

Thome raised his arm in the air as he rounded the bases, and he was mobbed by his teammates at the plate before he hugged his father and wife. The White Sox hoisted Thome on their shoulders

"It's hard to explain what's going through me right now," he said. "What a great day. It's tough to hit home runs when people want you to."

Thome said he hoped his milestone could come during a victory, and it did. Chicago rallied from a 7-1 deficit.

Thome was 0-for-4 when he came to bat in the ninth. He grounded to first in the first, flied out to center in the fourth and lined to center in the sixth against Joe Saunders. He struck out swinging in the seventh against reliever Justin Speier.

After Darin Erstad singled to start the bottom of the ninth, Thome delivered his 28th homer of the season off Moseley (4-3).

Mike MacDougal (2-5) got the win with two innings of relief.

Danny Richar's two-run homer off Scot Shields in the bottom of the eighth tied the game at 7.

After the Angels scored four in the top of the seventh, Chicago responded with four in the bottom half as Josh Fields hit a three-run homer off Chris Bootcheck to pull the White Sox to 7-5.

Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera homered as the AL West leaders built their lead. Saunders allowed two hits and a run with five walks and seven strikeouts over six innings.

Guerrero reached 25 homers for a 10th straight season with a solo shot to right in the first off Mark Buehrle.

Rivera, who broke his leg in winter ball and was playing in just his fifth game of the season after coming off the disabled list on Sept. 2, hit his first homer, at two-run shot in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.

Trailing 4-0, the White Sox got a run in the fifth on two walks and Jerry Owens' two-out RBI single.

But the Angels added three more in the seventh on Reggie Willits' double and an RBI single by Robb Quinlan after an intentional walk to Guerrero. Maicer Izturis followed with another single to load the bases and finish Buehrle, who lasted 6 1-3 innings. He gave up 11 hits and was charged with seven runs.

Howie Kendrick hit an RBI infield single, another run scored when Chicago third baseman Andy Gonzalez fumbled Rivera's grounder for an error, and reliever Ryan Bukvich walked in a run to make it 7-1.