Rookie southpaw Jose Quintana makes a second consecutive start against the Minnesota Twins tonight when the first-place Chicago White Sox head to Target Field to open a three-game series.
The White Sox arrive in town with a 1 1/2-game lead over the defending champion Detroit Tigers in the American League's Central Division. Minnesota, in fourth place among the division's five teams, is 12 games back.
Quintana, in his 13th major-league appearance and 11th start, pitched 6 1/3 innings against the Twins in Chicago on July 24 and allowed four runs on eight hits with a strikeout in the White Sox's 11-4 triumph.
He's gotten no-decisions in all three starts since the All-Star break while facing Minnesota, Boston and Kansas City. In his final two starts before the break, Quintana allowed 10 hits and seven runs in 14 innings while beating the New York Yankees and Texas.
He's unbeaten in seven games away from home this year, winning two decisions and posting a 2.81 earned run average across 41 2/3 innings.
The Twins send rookie righty Cole De Vries to the mound for a rematch against Quintana and the White Sox.
He pitched six innings of seven-hit, two-run ball in the July 24 game and also got a no-decision in the Chicago win.
In one other meeting with the White Sox - in his major-league debut on May 24 - De Vries allowed three earned runs on six hits in five innings of an 11-8 loss.
He's winless in five appearances since defeating Kansas City, 5-1, on June 30 and is 1-1 in four home starts.
On Sunday in Texas, Texas starter Scott Feldman spun eight scoreless innings, helping the Rangers snap a five-game losing streak to the White Sox with a 2-0 triumph in the finale of a three-game set.
"Any time we got anything going, he just found a way to get out of it. He got the pitch when he needed it. You just tip your hat," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.
Gavin Floyd (8-9) surrendered two runs - one earned - on seven hits and five walks in 6 2/3 innings for the White Sox, who had their five-game winning streak stopped.
In Minnesota, Brian Duensing pitched six solid innings in his best start of the season to help the Twins get past the Cleveland Indians, 5-1, to complete a three-game sweep.
Duensing (2-6) allowed one run and five hits to win as a starter for the first time this year. He had been dealt the loss in his first four starts of 2012, but helped the Twins to their third sweep of 2012 on Sunday.
"It went pretty well," Duensing said. "I gave up that one run and got away from some mechanics, but the ball was down and sinking, and the defense made some great plays."
Justin Morneau hit his 198th career homer among three hits, and Ben Revere drove in a pair of runs in the win for Minnesota.
The White Sox have won seven of nine games between the teams in 2012, including the last five in a row. They swept a three-game series in Chicago from July 23-25.
Minnesota last won the season series in 2010.
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