(Updated Jan. 7, 2016)
Jim Thome didn’t face the Cardinals often in a 22-year big-league career, but he usually pounded St. Louis pitching when given the opportunity. Of his 612 career home runs, 18 were hit against the Cardinals in 29 games.
Thome batted .430 (43-for-100) against the Cardinals, with 40 RBI, a .565 on-base percentage and a 1.010 slugging percentage.
Of his 18 homers against St. Louis, three were hit against Matt Morris. Chris Carpenter and Dan Haren surrendered two apiece.
Thome blasted three homers against the Cardinals _ two off Morris (in the first and third innings) and another off Mike James (in the seventh) _ in the Indians’ 14-2 victory on July 6, 2001, at Cleveland. All three were two-run shots. Boxscore
In the eighth, Thome struck out against Steve Kline, missing a chance to become the first American League player to hit four homers in a game since Rocky Colavito of the Indians in 1959.
“When everybody wants you to hit a home run, it’s pretty tough to do,” Thome told the Associated Press.
The next day, Thome walked in his first four plate appearances. Then, he led off the 10th inning with a homer off Dave Veres, lifting Cleveland to a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals. Boxscore
“It was supposed to be a sinker away,” Veres told the Associated Press. “I missed my spot by, like, four feet.”
Said Thome: “I wanted to get a pitch up and drive it, and I did.”
Thome’s 18th and last homer against the Cardinals was perhaps his most devastating. On June 22, 2006, at Chicago, the Cardinals’ Anthony Reyes pitched a one-hitter _ and lost. The hit was a solo homer by Thome with one out in the seventh, giving the White Sox a 1-0 victory. Boxscore
“I was fortunate it was in the middle of the plate,” Thome said of the pitch he crushed.
Said Reyes: “I just missed a little bit over the plate and you can’t really do that up in this league.”
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the Associated Press, “Oh, man, what a performance. It shows you there’s no justice when he (Reyes) is the losing pitcher.”
Jim Thome’s home runs against the Cardinals:
DATE………………..PITCHER
June 14, 1997……Matt Morris
June 25, 1998……Manny Aybar
June 25, 1998……Bobby Witt
June 2, 2000…….Darryl Kile
July 6, 2001……..Matt Morris
July 6, 2001……..Matt Morris
July 6, 2001……..Mike James
July 7, 2001……..Dave Veres
Aug. 15, 2003……Pedro Borbon
Aug. 16, 2003……Dan Haren
Aug. 17, 2003……Brett Tomko
Aug. 22, 2003……Dan Haren
Aug. 22, 2003……Steve Kline
April 29, 2004…..Chris Carpenter
May 4, 2004……..Chris Carpenter
May 6, 2004……..Jeff Suppan
June 21, 2006…..Jason Marquis
June 22, 2006…..Anthony Reyes
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