Twins designated hitter Jim Thome hit the 598th home run of his career against the Angels on Thursday. The homer to dead center field -- Thome's ninth of the season -- came on a 1-2 cutter from Dan Haren and extended his hit streak to nine games. "It's always fun to see Thome walk to the plate and hit a homer," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Everyone is out there cheering for him. It's always a big moment and gives you a little bit of a lift. But it was a tough night for us." Thome is hitting .424 (14-for-33) over his hit streak with two homers, four doubles and seven RBIs. It's also his longest hitting streak since he hit in nine straight games from July 5-19, 2009, while with the White Sox.