Quintana, Chicago White Sox shut down Red Sox
Releasing John Danks was Tuesday's news of the day at U.S. Cellular Field, and it was almost big enough to overshadow the Chicago White Sox's impressive start to the season.
But not quite.
With Danks out of the rotation and off the roster after pitching poorly in all 4 outings this season, the Sox look to have an even better chance at building on their strong start. Against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, starter Jose Quintana delivered another masterful outing, shutting down the American League's highest-scoring team in a 4-1 victory.
Quintana (4-1) pitched 8 innings and allowed 1 run on 4 hits while lowering his ERA to a minuscule 1.40.
"Really good," Quintana said. "Really good in my first month of the season. I just try to do my job. Try to get wins. When you come into the ballpark and your teammates are excited, just try to do a little bit more."
Jose Abreu sparked the White Sox's offense with an RBI triple in the first inning and a 2-run double in the eighth. Over his last four games, Abreu has 7 RBI while raising his batting average from .207 to .252.
"It's just his time," manager Robin Ventura said. "Even in (batting practice), it sounds better. A lot is made of the slow start and it could be the cold, I don't know. But it sure looks better and it sounds better."
With a 19-8 record, the Sox are off to their best start since 2006.
"I'm extremely impressed with the way we've gotten through this stretch, not just from a won-loss record standpoint, which obviously we're thrilled with, but really from a competitiveness standpoint, and how everyone in that locker room has gone about their business and maintained a high level of energy and a high level of focus and an edge over the last several weeks while playing very good baseball," Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. ""We're all extremely impressed with the players in that clubhouse. They picked each other up."
Alive at five:
Erik Johnson gets the first crack at taking over the No. 5 spot in the White Sox's rotation in place of John Danks, but there are other options.
"We do have a few internal options, whether it's Erik or it's Miguel Gonzalez coming up, who's obviously been proven at the big-league level to have some success in the past," general manager Rick Hahn said. "Jacob Turner has been throwing the ball well at Charlotte, and those are just a handful of internal options.
"If it does get to the point where we're better off going outside the organization, obviously we've never been shy about doing that."
Tim Lincecum, who won National League Cy Young Awards in 2008-09 with San Francisco before a hip injury derailed his career, reportedly is healthy and holding a showcase Friday in Phoenix. The Sox are expected to be one of the 20-plus teams on hand.
Injury report:
Avisail Garcia missed his third straight game Tuesday with a right-hamstring injury, but the designated hitter said he's feeling better and just needs to run a little more before returning to the lineup.
Manager Robin Ventura said catcher Alex Avila, who also has a hamstring issue and is on the 15-day disabled list, is improving and getting close to going on a minor-league rehab assignment.
Hot ticket:
The White Sox and Red Sox played in front of a sparse crowd of 15,025 on Tuesday night, but look for better attendance on the South Side as the season progresses.
Before the three-game series against Boston, the White Sox announced they sold 100,000 tickets the past week.
"It's awesome," right fielder Adam Eaton said. "I know if you win they will come. I can't blame the fans for not wanting to come see us the last two years, especially with the struggles that we had. But we welcome everybody with open arms.
"We love our fan base in every way, shape and form. They're always loud, they're always passionate and we appreciate them. Get pumped for the long ride. It should be a fun summer, and we're excited to have those guys along."