Quintana, Sale both rocked as Boston gets away with win
On July 6, 2015, Mark Buehrle returned to the South Side to start against his old team, the Chicago White Sox.
Buehrle matched up against Chris Sale that night, and the two left-handers locked horns in a classic pitcher's duel.
Sale and the Sox got the better of the Buehrle and the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2, but both pitchers went the distance in a game that was played in a lightning-fast 1 hour, 54 minutes.
More of the same was widely anticipated Tuesday night, with Jose Quintana and the White Sox matching up against Sale and the Boston Red Sox.
Didn't happen. Not even close.
Quintana, who has not been able to assume ace status for the White Sox after Sale was shipped off to Boston in a December deal for four prospects, turned in another dud outing.
Sale, who had been his usual dominant self in his 10 starts with the Red Sox, wasn't much better.
In a game that dragged on into the night at Guaranteed Rate Field, Boston beat the White Sox 13-7.
Quintana (2-7) lasted just 2⅔ innings against the Red Sox and allowed 7 runs on 10 hits, 3 of them homers. It was his shortest outing since Sept. 2, 2013, when he had to leave his start against the Yankees after 1 inning due to injury.
Deven Marrero, Boston's No. 9 hitter, launched 2 home runs off Quintana, both on hanging curveballs. The backup third baseman hit a 2-run shot in the second inning and a 3-run shot in the third.
Quintana is known for his consistency, but he's allowed 15 runs on 18 hits over 7 innings his last two starts, and his ERA has ballooned to 5.60.
"I need to check a couple things," Quintana said. "I had a bad sequence a couple times, hard hits and homers. The last two starts for me were bad starts.
"Tonight for me was a little embarrassing. My teammates put in a lot of effort to win this game and I can't do anything. I want to do the best next time."
Sale (6-2) struggled for the Red Sox, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits and 2 walks in 5 innings.
"I clearly didn't have it tonight," he said. "I don't know how many times I've given up 6 runs and been in a good mood after the game. It says a lot about my guys. I was actually looking forward to this, pitching against my friends. Q is like a brother to me. By no means am I glad this is over."
Todd Frazier just missed hitting a 3-run homer off Sale in the second inning. In the fourth, Frazier connected on a 2-run homer off his former teammate.
Before the game, Frazier jokingly talked about messing with Sale over last season's incident with the White Sox. Before a July start, Sale cut up throwback uniform tops he didn't care to wear and was hit with a five-game suspension.
"I don't know if we gave away the cut-up ones, but maybe we can wear them and put like some tape around some of the shirts, so it looks like Edward Scissorhands out there," Frazier said. "I think he'd probably chuckle about that, too. Why not?"
Sale, who pitched for the White Sox from 2010-16, got a standing ovation when he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning.