Quentin's play in first grabs Sox' attention
Carlos Quentin's 2 home runs in Monday night's 9-2 White Sox victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels will stand out to the casual fan.
But his teammates and manager were quick to point out the importance of Quentin's diving, first-inning catch on the warning track in right field, which robbed Torii Hunter of an extra-base hit and robbed the Angels of an early lead.
"To me, the best thing we have today, even though we scored a lot of runs, was that play (Quentin) made in the outfield in the first inning," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
"I think he gave us a pump, a fire in the dugout. I don't want to say it's the best thing I've ever seen, but that was at the top out there. That play, then we score early. It set the table."
With Howie Kendrick on second base with two outs, Hunter laced a 1-2 offering from starting pitcher Gavin Floyd to right. Quentin left his feet, made the catch to his glove side and landed hard on his knee on the unforgiving track.
After a moment to let the pain subside, he jogged in to a standing ovation from the 38.092 at U.S. Cellular Field and was greeted by high-fives from his teammates upon reaching the dugout.
"Sometimes in that situation the ball hooks away, but it stayed straight enough for me to be able to reach it," Quentin said. "I was playing (Hunter) deep because of the way he hits with power to all fields. He's a great hitter. It stayed straight and I was able to get a glove on it."
It's the kind of play a pitcher appreciates.
"I think that was a momentum builder for me and maybe for the team," Floyd said of the catch. "He made that play and it pumped us up. And we played all-around good defense and scored some runs, so that helps."
Quentin was locked in at the plate against the Angels on the heels of a road trip during which he went 3-for-18 with 1 home run and 2 RBI. He was 0-for-1 with a walk when he stepped to the plate against Scott Kazmir in the sixth inning with Paul Konerko on first base.
After working the count full, he jerked a changeup over the fence in left field for his 14th home run of the season, which gave the White Sox a 5-1 cushion.
Quentin was responsible for yet another July fireworks show in the eighth inning, when he blasted a 1-1 pitch for a solo shot into the first row of the bleacher seats beyond the White Sox' bullpen in left.
"I like being at home because you're not living in a hotel," Quentin said of his performance at the Cell after his so-so road trip. "So that's a mental thing that I think every player respects.
"Here, you know, it heats up a little bit and the ball carries. You try to get hits and all of a sudden you get underneath one and it has a chance to carry the yard.
"It's a good thing when we get to come back home, to try to stay with an easy approach. With the way the wind can blow here, it can lead to big things."