Runs, Hits, and Ray Durhams

On this day 21 years ago, Chicago White Sox second baseman Ray Durham tied a Major League record by reaching base three times on errors. I don’t know how he got in the heads of the Cleveland Indians, but they committed two more errors while Durham was running the bases.

Durham lead off the game by reaching first on an error by future Hall of Fame first baseman Jim Thome. Another HOF’er, Frank Thomas hits a homerun, and Durham scores.

Leading off the top of the third Durham reaches again, this time on an error by pitcher Charles Nagy. He steals second base and advances to third on a throwing error by catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. A sacrifice fly by Thomas and Durham scores again.

In the fifth inning, Durham makes it to first on another error by Thome. He then scores again on a double to right by Albert Belle. The score is now Ray Durham 3, Cleveland 1.

Looking to shake off the bad defensive mojo, the Indians go to the pen before Durham comes back to the plate a second time in the fifth and Sugar Ray hits a single, driving in a run.

But the bleeding hasn’t finished for Cleveland: Durham bangs out a two-out triple to centerfield, and makes it home on another error by Kenny Lofton. He adds another single in the ninth. Counting his four runs and two RBI, Ray Durham narrowly misses outscoring the Indians 6-7, most all of which he owes to the Cleveland defense.