CHICAGO – Jose Quintana pitched eight crisp innings for his third straight win, and the AL-leading Chicago White Sox cooled off the Boston Red Sox with a 4-1 victory on Tuesday night.
Jose Abreu had two hits and three RBI as Chicago ran its record to 19-8 with its third straight win. It has won nine of 11 overall to keep up with the major league-leading Cubs, revving up the anticipation for an intriguing summer in the Windy City.
Hanley Ramirez’s one-out homer in the fifth halted Quintana’s scoreless streak at 20 1/3 innings, but the left-hander bounced back by retiring Travis Shaw and Chris Young on a pair of grounders. He retired three in a row after Xander Bogaerts’ leadoff single in the seventh, including swinging strikeouts of David Ortiz and Shaw.
Quintana (4-1) allowed four hits, struck out five and walked none while lowering his ERA to 1.40. David Robertson finished for his ninth save in 10 chances.
The Red Sox (15-11) were coming off a weekend sweep of the Yankees and had won seven of eight. But they wasted an effective start by knuckleballer Steven Wright in the opener of a six-game trip.
Abreu hit a run-scoring triple in the first and a two-run double in the eighth against Junichi Tazawa. He is batting .464 (13 for 28) during a seven-game hit streak.
Todd Frazier also had a run-scoring groundout in the third for the White Sox, who finished with just five hits.
Wright (2-3) allowed three hits and walked four in six innings.
Quintana got some help from his defense in the second when Austin Jackson made a leaping grab of Ortiz’s drive to the warning track in center. Adam Eaton also made a nice running catch on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s liner to right in the third.
The White Sox plan to cut John Danks on Thursday, ending the left-hander’s 10-year run with the team. Erik Johnson will be promoted to pitch against the Red Sox, but general manager Rick Hahn said the fifth starter is “going to be a bit of a fluid situation.”
Danks broke into the majors with Chicago in 2007 and pitched in some big games for the White Sox, including eight innings of two-hit ball in a 1-0 victory over Minnesota that lifted his team to the 2008 AL Central title. But he hasn’t been the same since he had shoulder surgery in 2012.
Red Sox: Carson Smith (flexor strain) was activated from the disabled list and pitched a perfect seventh inning. . . . RHP Joe Kelly (shoulder impingement) had a bullpen session and is scheduled to make the first of at least two rehab starts for Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday. . . . LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) pitched six innings of three-run ball in a rehab appearance with Pawtucket. Manager John Farrell said before the game he probably would need another minor league start.
White Sox: Manager Robin Ventura said OF Avisail Garcia was planning to test his strained right hamstring before the game. “He’s doing better,” Ventura said. . . . C Alex Avila (right hamstring) could go on a rehab assignment soon, according to Ventura.