Quintana finally gets 10th win
Offense, defense step up early to help lefty reach a personal best
White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier couldn’t believe pitcher Jose Quintana never had reached 10 wins in a season.
“I asked him, ‘ How many years do you have?’ He said like four. He’s had three with nine wins. I didn’t know he never had 10.”
The lefty can check that off his list of goals now.
“He was yelling and screaming like a little kid,’’ Frazier said of Quintana, who picked up his 10th win, a 4- 2 victory Sunday over the Oakland Athletics. “Sometimes you have to bring it back to that, to how you used to play when you were little.”
For Quintana ( 10- 9), who also went to his first All- Star Game this season, the goal of 10 victories should have been accomplished before. But despite his 12 no- decisions in the last two years, he was still one of the best pitchers in baseball.
“This is really special for me,’’ he said. “This year when the year started, that was my first goal. I want to get more than 10 wins to help my team, but I’m really happy. Now I’ll try to get more wins.’’
His teammates were just as happy for the resilient lefty.
“I know the guys are happy about it, that they’re able to get one for him,’’ manager Robin Ventura said. “For as well as he’s pitched over his years here, for him to get 10 is nice.’’
The offense provided Quintana, who pitched into the eighth inning, with all the run support he would need with a three- run first against rookie Zach Neal ( 2- 3).
Jose Abreu added his 16th homer of the season in the fourth, his second homer in as many days.
The Sox’ defense also pitched in, with a highlight- reel diving catch in center by J. B. Shuck off Brett Eibner’s line drive in the fourth inning, and a first- to- shortstop- to- first double play in the second.
“They played good defense, especially early in the game,’’ Quintana said. “That’s good when you can see that behind you.
“It was special and it was fun. I enjoyed this game.’’
After walking Jake Smolinski to lead off the eighth, Quintana was replaced by Nate Jones, who tossed a scoreless inning. David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 32nd save.
Quintana allowed two earned runs and eight hits while striking out six and walking one.
“We did enough offensively to do it for him,’’ Ventura said. “Especially [ getting runs] early for him, that helps a lot. With the lack of run support that he’s had over a period of time, it looked a little bit like this would be his day.’’
Frazier was key to the run support, going 3- for- 4 with a double and two RBI and his 10th stolen base of the season. He joined Jermaine Dye, Carlos Lee, Magglio Ordonez, Carlton Fisk and Dick Allen as the only Sox players to have at least 10 steals and 30- plus homers in one season.
“Just attacking,’’ Frazier said of his approach. “Basically wherever it is, stay within the strike zone.
“Getting back there feels pretty good,’’ he added, mindful of hitting only .212 this season despite his 31 homers.
“I just hope he keeps it going,’’ Ventura said. “We all know he can hit homers, but he’s more of a player than that, and he knows it.’’