White Sox come up short in 3-1 loss
CLEVELAND - Jose Quintana maintained his dominance at Progressive Field on Saturday night, but had nothing to show for it.
Quintana gave up one run in six innings, but Jose Ramirez's RBI triple in the seventh off Zach Putnam (4-3) put the Indians up for good, as Cleveland won 3-1 for Chicago's 13th loss in 17 games.
The left-hander struck out seven and walked one, and he now owns a 1.52 ERA (four earned runs in 23 2-3 innings) in four games at Progressive Field.
"I tried to get more innings, give them more and more," Quintana said. "But a pretty good game, tough game. I feel really confident in myself. Now I feel really good with my stuff."
The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the third. With Jordan Danks on second, Adam Eaton hit a chopper toward first that Jesus Aguilar couldn't corral, and as it skipped past him into right field, Danks was able to score.
Cleveland answered in the fourth with Carlos Santana's solo homer. The Indians loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. Quintana retired Santana on a foul out and struck out Yan Gomes.
"(Quintana) had a nice night," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Besides the home run, he had one inning, got in a tight spot and worked his way out of it. But he was throwing strikes early, too."
Oddly, the Indians have won all three games Quintana has started in Cleveland.
Corey Kluber (14-9) dominated the White Sox, throwing his third complete game of the season. He gave up one unearned run on five hits, striking out eight and walking none.
"He was great tonight," Ventura said. "He moves it all over, he has movement for lefties and righties. Take a little off, adding a little, a great slider, cutter. We had some chances tonight and just didn't hit anything out of it."
In five starts against Chicago this season, Kluber is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA (10 earned runs in 36 2-3 innings).
With the score 1-1, Michael Bourn walked with one out in the seventh against Putnam after fouling off a pair of full-count pitches and scored when Ramirez tripled off the wall in right-center. Four pitchers later, Ramirez came home on Michael Brantley's single.
Jose Abreu was 0 for 4, snapping his 14-game hitting streak. He hit .510 (25 for 49) with two homers and 10 RBIs.
Shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who left Friday's game after fouling a ball off his left foot, returned to the lineup and was hitless in four at-bats.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Closer Jake Petricka is unavailable this weekend after the birth of his daughter. Ventura hopes the right-hander will return when the White Sox host Oakland.
Indians: Manager Terry Francona said INF-OF Mike Aviles (concussion) was feeling better and will resume baseball activities when he passes protocol tests. Aviles sustained the concussion trying to make a diving catch in right field Monday.
IT'S NOT OVER
White Sox 1B Paul Konerko, who will retire after this season, said the swelling has gone down in his broken left hand. Konerko said Friday that his season isn't over, a statement he reiterated Saturday. "I'll finish on the field, one way or another," he said, "I don't care if I go up there and take three pitches and strike out. I'll finish on the field."
GOING AWAY GIFT
The Indians presented Konerko with a guitar, adorned with his No. 14 and the White Sox logo, in a pregame ceremony. He has 48 homers and 177 RBIs lifetime against Cleveland, the active leader in both categories. Konerko, who will retire at the end of the season, is sidelined with a broken left hand but says he will play again before the month ends.
UP NEXT
RHP Scott Carroll (5-9) starts the series finale. RHP Hector Noesi was originally scheduled to pitch, but has been moved back to Monday and will pitch against Oakland.