DETROIT, Sept. 14 -- Albert Belle collected five hits and drove in five runs, passing 1,000 career RBI Monday, but the Chicago White Sox needed back-to-back homers from Ray Durham and Craig Wilson in the 12th inning to defeat the Detroit Tigers, 17-16. The Tigers used 10 pitchers and the White Sox sent eight to the mound as the teams combined to match a major-league record for pitchers used in one game.
It was the fourth time 18 pitchers have participated in one contest. Durham snapped a 15-15 tie when he lined Doug Bochtler's fourth pitch of the 12th over the right-center field fence. Wilson, who was called up when rosters were expanded two weeks ago, crushed the next offering from Bochtler (0-2) into the second deck in left field. Rookie Juan Encarnacion, who recorded Detroit's first five-hit game in over a year, led off the bottom half with a single and eventually scored on a groundout by Damion Easley. Bobby Higginson knotted the score with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th but failed to come through again, striking out to end the game. Scott Eyre (3-7) yielded one unearned run and two hits with three strikeouts over the final two innings for the win, Chicago's 11th in its last 14 games. Belle was 5-for-8 with three doubles after going just 3-for-19 (.158) over his previous five contests. Having already set a club record with 45 homers this season, Belle increased his RBI total to 137. He moved within one RBI of the team mark, set by Zeke Bonura in 1936, and increased his career total to 1,004. Wilson collected four hits and drove in five runs for the White Sox, who blew leads of 5-0, 12-8 and 15-12 before pulling out the victory.
