CHICAGO (AP) — Jim Thome circled the bases and raised his arm in triumph. He'd finally hit his 500th home run and it was more than just a remarkable milestone. It had real meaning because it won a game for the Chicago White Sox.

With a flair for the dramatic, Thome became the 23rd player in major league history to reach 500, hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth for a 9-7 win on Sunday over the Los Angeles Angels.

It was a homer for a lot of people: himself; his teammates past and present; his former managers and coaches, especially Charlie Manuel; and his family, including his dad and wife who sat near the plate cheering his every at-bat all weekend and for his mother, who died of cancer in 2005.

Thome even made a drawing in the dirt behind the plate as he came up the first time Sunday, a way of paying tribute to his late mother, Joyce.

"I wanted her to be a part of it. It's very emotional," Thome said.

"She did a great job of raising him," said his father, Chuck. "He's pretty special."

The way he joined the 500 club was certainly special. He drove a 3-2 pitch from reliever Dustin Moseley to left-centre, ending an 0-for-11 slump, and was mobbed by his teammates at the plate and later hoisted on the shoulders of Jermaine Dye and Bobby Jenks.

It was the first time a player hit a game-ending homer for No. 500, and the first time three players reached the plateau in one season.