CLEVELAND – Javier Vazquez dominated for six innings and Paul Konerko hit a three-run homer to help teammate Jim Thome enjoy his return to Cleveland as the Chicago White Sox held off the Indians 8-6 on Monday night.

Thome was back at Jacobs Field for the first time as a visiting player. The Indians’ career home run leader bolted as a free agent following the 2002 season, signing a six-year, $85 million deal with Philadelphia and leaving behind a trail of broken hearts and bitterness across Northeast Ohio.

Before heading to the ballpark, Thome, who lives in a Cleveland suburb during the offseason, got a request from his young daughter, Lila.

“Daddy,” she said. “Hit me a tater.”

Thome didn’t muscle out a homer for his little girl and went 1-for-5 with an RBI in his first game at the Jake since Sept. 29, 2002. He also struck out twice to the delight of some Cleveland fans.

Vazquez (3-1) allowed five hits and would have blanked the Indians for six innings if left fielder Scott Podsednik hadn’t dropped a two-out fly ball. The error led to Cleveland’s only run off Vazquez, who has given up two earned runs in his last 20 innings.

Konerko connected for his seventh homer in the first off Cliff Lee (2-2).

Podsednik had four hits and matched a club record with four steals as the White Sox won their fourth straight and improved to 18-7 – their record on May 1 a year ago when they went on to win the World Series.

Chicago has won eight straight and 10 of 11 in Cleveland.

The Indians trailed 7-0 after making four errors and playing some comical baseball in the first six innings. However, Travis Hafner’s third career grand slam – a towering shot off reliever Brandon McCarthy – brought Cleveland within two in the seventh.

It was Hafner’s eighth homer and first in 53 at-bats.

The Indians kept scrapping and put two on in the eighth before Neal Cotts got Casey Blake on a grounder. Cotts gave up a walk and single to start the ninth before giving way to closer Bobby Jenks.

The right-hander struck out Victor Martinez but gave up Ben Broussard’s RBI single that made it 8-6. Jenks then struck out Ronnie Belliard and Todd Hollandsworth for his eighth save.

Thome was greeted with a mixture of boos and cheers when he came to the plate in the first. One sour Indians fan held up a cardboard sign that said: Et Tu, Thome? – a reference to Thome’s perceived betrayal.

With the White Sox leading 5-0 in the sixth, the crowd of 17,845 got a little testier, directing some derisive chants at Thome.

Lee struggled to get through the first. He allowed consecutive singles to Podsednik and Tadahito Iguchi before fanning Thome. But Konerko followed with a 411-foot shot to right-center that made it 3-0.

The White Sox added two unearned runs in a third inning when Cleveland seemed to be re-enacting scenes from the “Bad News Bears.”

Lee hit A.J. Pierzynski, who took his time walking to first. With two outs, Rob Mackowiak singled and Juan Uribe hit a grounder that was backhanded by Johnny Peralta at short. On the play, Indians third baseman Aaron Boone collided with Pierzynski, who was awarded third on interference.

Brian Anderson followed with a roller that Boone let slip under his glove for an embarrassing error, and the ball even skidded past Peralta – backing up Boone – to score Pierzynski and Mackowiak.

The White Sox added two runs in the sixth to go up 7-0, helped by reliever Brian Slocum’s two wild pickoff attempts.

Notes: It was Ozzie Guillen’s 200th win as White Sox manager. He’s 117-70 since the start of last season. … On Tuesday, Indians LHP C.C. Sabathia makes his first start since getting hurt on opening night in Chicago. Sabathia strained an oblique muscle and had to leave in the third inning on April 2. “Here we go again,” Sabathia said of seeing the Sox again. … Indians C Victor Martinez extended his streak of reaching base to 41 straight games with a walk in the fourth. … Both benches were warned after Vazquez threw behind Belliard in the third.