Quentin rejoins lineup

After missing all three games in Seattle with a sore right hand, Carlos Quentin was back in the White Sox' starting lineup at Oakland Friday night.

Quentin suffered the injury in the Sox' first game after the all-star break when he was hit by a pitch from Twins starter Kevin Slowey.

"We need Carlos," manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters before the Sox opened a three-game series against the Athletics. "Carlos has to stay healthy. He plays hard. He only knows one way. But Carlos makes our lineup a lot stronger. He makes the people around him a lot better."

A sore left knee was bothering Quentin before the break, and he appeared to be in some pain after stealing second base against Oakland in the second inning. But he stayed in the game and his sacrifice fly in the fourth inning put the White Sox in front.

Using Quentin at designated hitter would likely prevent some of the injury woes, but he was back in right field Friday.

Guillen said Quentin should serve as DH Saturday and/or Sunday, but it's not an ideal spot.

"DH is not easy, and when he DHs, he's like a bull before he goes into the ring," Guillen said. "He's so anxious. When you play in the outfield, you make an out and you go back out and think about playing defense. When you DH, you come back and swing, swing, swing. And (Quentin) never stops swinging."

Beer here: When the White Sox return home to play Seattle on Monday, a new beer game will open at Gate 5 of U.S. Cellular Field.

"TBD's" will be open on game days to all fans 21 years and older, and a game ticket is not necessary for admission.

The outdoor beer garden opens two hours before the start of each home game and remains open one hour after the final out.

The Sox are considering further development and expansion at the Gate 5 area.

Armed and dangerous: The Athletics have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, they never seem to draw at the Coliseum and they rank near the bottom of the American League in home runs (63) and runs scored (401).

But Oakland is contending in the AL West thanks to a pitching staff with the second lowest ERA (3.78) in the league.

"I don't know how they do it," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "But every time you come here, you're always going to face a good pitching staff."