Thome belts No. 596 vs. Royals

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Twins slugger Jim Thome hit his 596th career home run in the sixth inning on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals.

Thome hit a 3-2 pitch from Felipe Paulino high into the upper deck in right-center field. That puts Thome four long balls away from becoming the eighth player in history to reach the 600-homer plateau.

The Twins estimated the distance at 490 feet, the longest homer on record at Target Field. Thome has now hit the three longest home runs in the ballpark's short history, and six of the top eight.