"Riding a four-game losing streak and 10 games out in the American League Central, the Twins could use some good news - and so could their fans. That's why manager Ron Gardenhire hopes Jim Thome will hit his 600th home run at Target Field.

"I think our fans really want to see it, and I would love to have them see it," Gardenhire said. "Unfortunately, we could end up on the road, and it's not like I'm not going to play him on the road."

Thome needs two home runs to become just the eighth player in major league history to hit 600. The Twins have three home games, starting tonight against Boston, before starting a six-game road trip through Cleveland and Detroit on Friday, and Gardenhire said he hopes to play Thome in all three.

"I really hope that something happens here, and I'm going to play him as much as I can," he said. "As long as his body holds up, his back, I'm going to try to keep him in there."

Cleveland wouldn't be an inappropriate place for the milestone. The Indians drafted Thome in the 13th round of the 1989 first-year player draft, and he played his first 12 seasons in Cleveland. "