Cordero, Belle Can Carry Team

Wil Cordero homered twice with a career-high five runs batted in and Albert Belle also homered twice as the White Sox routed the reeling Baltimore Orioles, 16-7, Wednesday night at Chicago.

“Wil is a real good clutch hitter,” White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel said. “When he’s hitting, he carries a club.”

Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura also homered for the White Sox, who overcame a 4-0 deficit to win for just the fourth time in 12 games. Chicago hit six homers in a game for the first time since July 14, 1979, against Detroit.

“We needed a game like that,” Thomas said.

Orioles Manager Ray Miller said rookie pitcher Sydney Ponson, who was making his first major league start, was tipping his pitches early in the game.

“They jumped on Ponson like they knew what was coming,” Miller said. “He was moving his mitt on his curve and change. This is the big leagues. You have to learn to hold runners and not tip your pitches.”

Baltimore got a three-run homer from Rafael Palmeiro in the first, a solo homer from Mike Bordick in the seventh and a two-run homer from Jeffrey Hammonds in the ninth. The Orioles have lost four consecutive and 11 of 14 following a 10-2 start.

Oriole reliever Norm Charlton left in the seventh with a broken nose after he was struck by a liner by Thomas.

Cordero hit a solo homer in the third and broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth with his second career slam.

“I was just trying to be aggressive in that situation. I got lucky,” Cordero said. “It seems like every time I go up there I’m going to have people on base. These guys are good.”

Chicago had consecutive homers twice. Belle, who drove in four runs, connected in the third following Thomas’ two-run shot, and Ventura homered in the seventh after Belle’s three-run drive. It was Belle’s 28th multihomer game, his third with the White Sox, and raised his season total to five.

“Maybe he’s getting ready to take off,” Manuel said.