|
 Now his position looks pretty secure, especially after helping the White Sox stop a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.
"He's been pitching great," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Maturity-wise, he's just getting strong as far as the makeup of his belief that he's a big leaguer. Last year he was just trying to survive and it kind of felt game-to-game for a while."
Alex Rios hit a two-run homer, and Jeff Keppinger had two hits and drove in a run for the White Sox, who earned a split of the rain-shortened series. Quintana (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five-plus innings and Addison Reed worked a scoreless ninth for his sixth save.
Rios connected in the fifth, hitting a two-out drive to left on an 0-2 pitch from Zach McAllister. Rios' team-high sixth homer made it 3-0.
"I'm happy about the victory, that's the most important thing. We needed to get that win in there and it's a start," Quintana said through a translator. "I feel like I'm learning still but I feel like I'm a big part of this and a big part of this. I just have to keep making the necessary adjustments necessary."
McAllister (1-3) walked five and allowed five hits in 5 2-3 innings. Four relievers then combined for 2 1-3 innings of hitless ball, giving the Indians a chance to rally.
"He had to dodge some traffic, especially early, Indians manager Terry Francona said. "But because of the use of his fastball, he keeps guys off the scoreboard. And they almost left with one run, he got ahead of Rios and fastball came across the wrong part of the plate -- even though it was elevated -- and he ran into it for two runs, two big runs. He kept competing and he kept them off the board."
Cleveland's first three batters of the sixth got on base, with Jason Kipnis singling in Drew Stubbs. Nate Jones then replaced Quintana and Mark Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to cut Chicago's lead to 3-2.
Kipnis stole second and third, but Jones struck out Nick Swisher and got Ryan Raburn to fly out to end the inning.
[to top of second column] |
The Indians rallied for a 3-2 victory in the series opener on Monday night. Tuesday game's was postponed by rain and has not been rescheduled.
Quintana "just made pitches when he had to," the Indians' Ryan Raburn said. "We battled and battled and put guys on and we just didn't get that one hit to put us over the top. He pitched well, we can't take nothing from him. We just didn't quite get the job done."
Chicago got off to a nice start when Alejandro De Aza had a leadoff walk in the first. He stole second and came home on Keppinger's single to center.
The White Sox threatened again in the third, putting runners on first and second with one out. But Keppinger popped out and Rios grounded out to end the inning.
Quintana breezed through three perfect innings, and then worked out of a jam in the fourth after the Indians loaded the bases.
Brantley reached on a leadoff single and moved to third on Reynolds' one-out double to the right-field corner. Raburn walked to load the bases, but Mike Aviles grounded into an inning-ending double play.
White Sox slugger Adam Dunn walked three times. He was 0 for 1 on the day and is 2 for 46 (.043) in his last 11 games.
Chicago opens a four-game series with visiting Tampa Bay on Thursday while Cleveland is off. The Indians kick off a four-game set Friday at Kansas City.
NOTES: The Indians activated C Lou Marson (neck strain) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned Yan Gomes to Triple-A Columbus. Marson got the start and went 0 for 3. C Gomes "needs to play," Francona said. "For his career this is a good thing for him to do right now,". ... Indians OF Michael Bourn is scheduled to be examined Thursday in Cleveland and could resume baseball activities with the removal of sutures from a right index finger laceration. He's scheduled to come off the disabled list on April 30.
[Associated
Press]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
