Gonzalez perfect through 6 innings as Sox top Tigers
After going 0-5 with a 6.99 ERA over his last 5 starts, Miguel Gonzalez didn't get down on himself.
"All you can do is keep working hard and things are going to happen," Gonzalez said. "I think if you work hard in between your starts you have a pretty good chance of getting back on track. That's how I felt today."
Facing the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field Sunday afternoon, Gonzalez had a perfect game through 6 innings.
The no-hit bid fell apart in the seventh, but Gonzalez pitched a lot more like his old self in the Chicago White Sox's 7-3 win.
The right-hander pitched 7⅔ innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits. Gonzalez had 6 strikeouts and he didn't walk a batter.
"He was pumping strikes," manager Rick Renteria said. "Hitting his spots. Keeping the ball down. His breaking pitch had some pretty good bite, had some tilt. He was working both sides of it. When he needed to come up and in he did. He threw the ball very, very well."
Detroit's Andrew Romine led off the seventh with an infield single to end Gonzalez's no-hit bid. Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was initially charged with an error on Romine's hard grounder, but the call was changed to a hit.
Alex Avila followed Romine with a clean single to right field.
Even after retiring the first 18 hitters he faced, Gonzalez said he wasn't thinking about a perfect game or no-hitter.
"I was just trying to stay focused and concentrate on each hitter," Gonzalez said. "Every time I was out there, the first pitch I was trying to throw for a strike and things worked out."
Quintana vs. Sale:
The White Sox and the Red Sox open a three-game series on Monday afternoon, and the middle meeting could be memorable.
Jose Quintana takes the mound for the White Sox Tuesday night and former teammate Chris Sale starts for Boston.
Sale was traded to the Red Sox in December for four prospects.
"It's going to be awesome, big time," Quintana said. "A big moment of the season. He was my teammate. It's a different feeling but it's good to face the best left-hander in the league. I'm excited and I think he's excited, too."
Quintana and Sale were rotation mates from 2012-16.
"He's the best," Quintana said. "He's the best teammate of the pitchers I've had. We have a really good relationship. He's really fun to watch. He's good and he has good stuff. But we're focusing on us. I want to do my job and that's my focus."
Holmberg gets the call:
David Holmberg comes out of the bullpen Monday to make his first start for the White Sox.
The 25-year-old lefty started 1 game for Arizona in 2013 and 11 for Cincinnati in 2014-15.
Signed as a free agent in March, 2016, after originally being drafted by the White Sox in 2009, Holmberg has made 8 relief appearances this season and has a 0.87 ERA. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder joined the Sox from Class AAA Charlotte on May 4.
"(Holmberg) has actually done well since he's been with us," manager Rick Renteria said. "We're hoping that we can take him out to a five-inning stint, depending on how many pitches he throws and things like that nature."