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Orlando Cabrera's two-run single capped a four-run second inning for the first-place White Sox, who came home in turmoil this week after manager Ozzie Guillen called out his team and general manager Kenny Williams on Sunday following a frustrating series at Tampa Bay.
Thome added an insurance run in the seventh with his 12th homer for the White Sox (33-26), who lead Minnesota by 2 1/2 games in the AL Central.
The sloppy Royals (23-37) committed two errors and could have been charged with more. They lost their 11th straight road game, one shy of the franchise record, and have dropped 15 of 17 overall.
Contreras (6-3) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. He hasn't lost since May 4.
Gil Meche (3-8) dropped his third consecutive decision. He gave up four earned runs on seven hits and four walks in 5 2-3 innings.
Nick Swisher opened the scoring in the fourth with an RBI single. Pablo Ozuna drove in another run on a groundout, and Cabrera's single to right, which was bobbled by David DeJesus, made it 4-0.
Paul Konerko led off the inning with a walk, but was thrown out at third by center fielder Joey Gathright on Thome's single. Thome then nearly got thrown out at third by DeJesus on Jermaine Dye's double.
The Royals got a run in the third when Gathright stole third and scored on third baseman Ozuna's error. Ozuna got one back in the fourth when he reached on an error and scored on Alexei Ramirez's single.
Thome homered to left off reliever Joel Peralta with two outs in the seventh. The slugger was 1-for-10 in the first two games of this series, but he hit a 464-foot homer Wednesday.
Kansas City's Mark Teahen hit his sixth home run in the ninth off Nick Masset.
Notes: White Sox 3B Joe Crede sat out with a bruised right wrist. He left Wednesday's game after getting hit by a grounder. X-rays were negative, and Crede said he thought he could play Friday. ... The White Sox selected Georgia SS Gordon Beckham with the eighth pick of the amateur draft and took Wichita State OF Kenny Williams Jr., son of the team's GM, in the sixth round.
[Associated Press]
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