Chicago White Sox offense still out of order

When it comes to talking about the Chicago White Sox' broken offense, forgive manager Robin Ventura for sounding like a broken record.

Day after day, month after month, Ventura has talked about Sox hitters having track records.

He's constantly talked about the importance of putting up "crooked numbers" to take the pressure of a starting rotation that's performed up to expectations.

Ventura's waited - and waited - for a consistent stretch of solid offensive production, but the White Sox are now halfway into the season and they're still collectively swinging and missing while wasting stellar efforts from their starting pitchers.

Tuesday night was no different, as the Sox fell to the Blue Jays 2-1 at U.S. Cellular Field.

"You want it to get consistent," Ventura said of an offense that ranks last in the major leagues with 276 runs scored. "You get to the point where it's just too hard for these guys to try to win 2-1 and the degree of being able to go out there and pitch like that, there's no room for error."

Jose Quintana delivered his eighth straight quality start for the White Sox, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits in 8 innings to go with 8 strikeouts and no walks.

That is a winning kind of effort, but Quintana (4-8) took the loss because the Sox' offense managed just 1 run on 7 hits.

This is the fourth straight season Quintana has received little or no support, and it's the fourth straight season the 26-year-old lefty has not complained.

"Well, I know I have the same answer," Quintana said. "It was a tough game. I tried to give up not many runs. I'll try next time to not give up any runs. I'll try again to keep my games as close as I can. I try to do what is best for me every five days. I try to get a win for us every time, just keep going. It's the middle of the season. I think, lets' change it the next start."

Something has to change soon on the offensive side, or big roster changes are likely coming by the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.

There are plenty of numbers that are head scratchers when it comes to the offense, and this one might be the most puzzling - in the Sox' last 24 home games, they have scored 4 runs or less.

"I think we're a stronger offensive team than we've shown pretty much all year," said catcher Tyler Flowers, one of six hitters in Tuesday's lineup with a batting average under .250. "Kind of everybody's still trying to put it together. We haven't had that moment where a number of us are hot, so we're still kind of waiting on that to happen and we've got to find ways to scratch and claw through.

"Tonight, we should have done a little bit better. With that performance, it's a great job by Q to give us a chance and hold that offense down. We've just got to find a way."

Second baseman Carlos Sanchez, who is batting .166, accounted for the White Sox' lone run with an RBI single in the second inning.