MINNEAPOLIS – Jim Thome spent less than two seasons in Minnesota, hitting 37 home runs, including historic No. 600.

He returned to Target Field as a visitor for the first time Friday night, and Twins’ fans had a chance to show how much they appreciated his short tenure in a Minnesota uniform.

Thome was given a standing ovation prior to his first at-bat, and was applauded again even after hitting home run No. 603. The drive helped the Cleveland Indians beat the Twins 7-6 to keep the Detroit Tigers, at least for a few hours, from clinching the AL Central title.

Unfortunately for the Indians, the Tigers ended up beating the A’s 3-1 to win the Central and make the postseason for the first time since 2006, when they earned a wild-card spot. It’s the Tigers’ first division title since they won the AL East in 1987.

“Getting a chance to come here and play here for the two years I did was very special,” Thome said. “The crowd has always been great here. They really have. It’s been a joy. A little different competing against them, but that’s part of the game too.”

Thome homered in the ninth inning against Joe Nathan for a 7-4 lead, just Thome’s second home run since Cleveland reacquired him on Aug. 25. The 41-year-old spent his first 12 seasons with the Indians.

“That would only happen to a guy like him,” Indians manager Manny Acta said of the cheers. “To be doing what they were doing today, even in the first at-bat it seemed like they were pulling for him to hit a ball out when he first hit that fly ball to left field. He gets what he deserves. He’s such a great guy, and the fans here appreciate his time here.”

Thome’s 22 home runs are the most at Target Field, now in its second season, and he has six of the eight longest homers in the ballpark’s history.

The Twins showed a video tribute of Thome before his first at-bat, and he was greeted with a standing ovation before flying out to the left-field warning track. Thome went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs.

Minnesota, which has dropped into last place, has lost six straight and 11 of 12. The Twins have scored just 21 runs in their last 11 games.

Backed by a 5-0 lead, Ubaldo Jimenez (4-2) allowed three runs – none earned – and five hits in 61⁄3 innings. Obtained from Colorado at the trade deadline on July 31, he improved to 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his last five starts after going 1-1 with a 7.29 ERA in his first four outings for the Indians.

“It means a lot for me, especially the way I started the season,” Jimenez said. “The first two, three months of the season wasn’t easy for me. Being able to finish strong means a lot.”

Minnesota had runners reach in each of the first five innings but couldn’t score until center fielder Grady Sizemore allowed Rene Tosoni’s well-hit fly ball to glance off his glove for a two-run error in the fifth.

TODAY

• WHO: Cleveland at Minnesota
• TIME: 1:10 p.m.
• WHERE: Target Field, Minneapolis
• PITCHERS: Gomez (3-2, 3.95 ERA) vs. Swarzak (3-6, 3.89)
• TV/RADIO: SportsTime Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

ELYRIA – A longtime Lorain County maintenance worker was fired this week after he failed a mandatory drug test when he was involved in a car accident Sept. 2.

James Brown, 47, tested positive for cocaine, Lorain County Administrator Jim Cordes said. That prompted the county commissioners to vote to fire him at their meeting Wednesday.

Brown was driving west on Russia Road in Carlisle Township in a county-owned Ford Taurus when the car went left of center and struck an eastbound Dodge Dakota driven by Jeffrey Newman of Amherst, according to a crash report completed by the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Neither Newman nor his passenger was injured in the accident, which took place around 3 p.m., the report said. Cordes said that although Brown did go to the hospital he wasn’t seriously injured.

In a written statement, Newman told troopers that Brown’s car went through the stop sign at Murray Ridge Road and went left of center.

“I tried going into ditch, but didn’t make it all the way when the car struck my driver’s side rear,” Newman wrote.

In his statement, Brown wrote that he didn’t recall what happened, although he said that he had stopped at the stop sign.

“The next thing I remember was the airbag smacking my face and me jumping out to see what happen(ed),” Brown wrote.

Brown wrote that he didn’t know if he blacked out but didn’t believe he’d fallen asleep at the wheel.

Brown didn’t comment when reached by phone Friday, but Cordes said Brown could challenge his firing through the union grievance process. He said the commissioners had two options – terminating Brown’s employment or suspending him and placing him in a treatment program – after learning about the positive drug test.

Given the circumstances, Cordes said, the commissioners opted to fire Brown.

Brown pleaded no contest in Elyria Municipal Court to a charge of improper lane usage. He was fined $150 but $30 of the fine was suspended.

Neither the Patrol’s report, nor court records, indicate that drugs played a role in the crash.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

The Elyria High School vs. Strongsville varsity football game is canceled this evening due to a number of the Elyria players being ill.

Additionally, the Elyria High School junior varsity football game is canceled tomorrow.

Thirty-eight of the teams’ 86 players came to school today and left with an intestinal illness, according to district spokeswoman Amy Higgins. One student had to be taken to the emergency room this morning, Higgins said. She said he is recovering but did not know if he had been released from the hospital.

Higgins said players had a team dinner last night but declined to speculate whether their sickness could be food poisoning.

“The symptoms of flu and food poisoning are so similar,” she said.

The varsity game will be played Sunday at 2 p.m. at Strongsville. The junior varsity game will not be made up.

The team dinner, which included both varsity and junior varsity players, was at the stadium and was hosted by parents, Higgins said.

Higgins said she believed coaches were at the team dinner but said she didn’t have any information regarding whether any of them were sick.

Kathryn Boylan, from the city health department, said she was aware of the situation but didn’t have any information to release at this time.

“We’re starting our investigation within the hour,” she said.

EMH Regional Medical Center is also investigating, according to Athletic Director Darren Conley.

Information on the game, if it is rescheduled, will be released at a later date.

LORAIN — A Lorain man who has been on the run from U.S. Marshals for a year was arrested this week in North Carolina.

Leiva

Luis Leiva, 49, was picked up Monday in Raleigh, N.C., using a fake identity, according to Marshals.

Leiva was wanted for charges of domestic violence, violating a protection order, burglary and assault stemming from an April 2009 incident and was added to the U.S. Marshals’ “Dangerous Dozen” most wanted list.

Deputy Tony Keffer, U.S. Marshals Service task force coordinator for Lorain County, said Leiva was taken into custody without incident by Marshals and Raleigh law enforcement. He was booked in the Wake County Jail.

When arrested, Leiva thought he was being arrested for an immigration violation Keffer said. Keffer didn’t have information on Leiva’s citizenship status but said Leiva was born in Peru. If convicted of a felony, it’s likely he could be deported, Keffer said.

Leiva’s year on the Dangerous Dozen list is long and is due to the fact that he left the area and changed his identity, Keffer said.

Keffer attributed his arrest to “a lot of investigating” and “good work by the Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. Marshals.”

Following Leiva’s arrest, U.S. Marshals released their latest Dangerous Dozen list, which for the first time doesn’t contain any Lorain County criminals.

Keffer explained that while Marshals try to include wanted individuals from all areas the task force covers, there were more pressing needs elsewhere.

Four individuals are new to the list:

• Thomas Propst is a former corrections officer from Ashtabula County who is wanted for the murder of his wife.
• Derek Watson, from the Toledo area, is wanted for assault.
• Kennard Gay, from the Akron area, is wanted on two warrants for murder and attempted murder from two separate incidents that occurred over the last few months.
• Billy Farmer, from the Mansfield area, is wanted for sex offender registration violation.

View the entire Dangerous Dozen:

Download the list.