Jose Quintana tries to follow up his first major league win this evening when the Chicago White Sox conclude a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
Quintana beat the Cleveland Indians on Friday, holding them to a pair of runs and four hits in six innings. He had held them scoreless over 5 2/3 innings in his big league debut, but the lefty did not factor in the decision of that one.
"The way [Quintana] pitched in Cleveland kind of got him this start, but he has a lot of composure," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "Kind of reminds you, or for me anyway, of Wilson Alvarez. He just kind of has a similar delivery and mannerisms. He's a little more mature than you'd think he was even though he's coming out of Double-A, but it's exactly what we needed."
Tampa will counter with an impressive young hurler of its own in righty Alex Cobb, who has won both of his starts this season and has allowed just three earned runs in 12 innings in doing so. Cobb beat the Boston Red Sox on Friday, limiting them to an earned run in five innings.
Even the return of Hideki Matsui couldn't slow down Chicago on Tuesday, as the White Sox scored five times in the sixth inning and rolled to their season- high seventh straight win with a 7-2 win.
"They just kept grinding," Ventura said. "You chip away and you chip away, and you finally kind of break through. ... It's the continuous effort of going up there with the same intent, and it finally pays off."
Philip Humber (2-2) earned his first win since his perfecto back on April 21, while Dayan Viciedo ended with three hits, including a home run for the White Sox, who have now homered in 15 straight games. That's the longest streak for the White Sox since April 21-May 4, 2004, and tied for the third-longest in club history. The record of 17 straight was set in 2000.
The White Sox, who have won 11 of their last 12 and 15 of 20, are now in sole possession of first place in the American League Central. Ventura also has his club six games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2010 season.
With another win today Chicago would have its first eight-game run since a nine-game tear from July 4-15, 2010.
Matsui, meanwhile, returned to the big leagues in smashing fashion, as he homered in his second at-bat.
"It was nice to hit the home run," Matsui said. "We lost the game, but from a personal standpoint, it was nice to be able to get that first home run in that moment. ... I think, overall, everything was pretty good from my standpoint."
Chicago hasn't swept the Rays in a three-game set at Tropicana Field since June 26-28, 2007.
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