Rookie Jose Quintana allowed two hits in eight stellar innings, Kevin Youkilis came through again with a go-ahead homer and the Chicago White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 2-1 victory Thursday.
On a scorching day at U.S. Cellular Field -- with a first-pitch temperature of 99 degrees that hit 102 by the fourth inning -- Quintana (4-1) walked one and struck out a career-high eight. He gave up a leadoff single to Ian Kinsler in the first and an RBI single to Adrian Beltre in the fourth on a line drive that hit the left-hander near the hip and bounded past first.
With a thunderstorm hitting the ball park in the ninth, Addison Reed pitched the final inning for his 12th save in 13 chances to help give Chicago the sweep in a meeting of division leaders.
Youkilis took All-Star Matt Harrison deep in the sixth to break a 1-all tie, his sixth homer of the season and second since joining the White Sox in a trade from Boston last month. He's had quite a first homestand with his new team. He homered and had four RBIs in Tuesday night's opener and delivered a winning single and two stellar defensive plays at third on Wednesday.
It was the first homer Harrison had allowed since June 3 and Thursday was his sixth start since that outing against the Angels. Harrison (11-4) gave up eight hits and two runs with two walks and five strikeouts in eight innings.
Quintana has been quite the find for Chicago since being called up in May. He is now 3-0 over his last five starts, giving the injury-plagued White Sox rotation a lift.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on the two-out RBI single by Beltre when his liner struck Quintana near the left hip and ricocheted past Youkilis at first. Kinsler, who had walked and moved to second on a grounder, scored on the play.
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Chicago got it back in the bottom half as a walk and two singles loaded the bases before Alexei Ramirez hit an RBI grounder that Beltre made a nice play on while diving to his left. Dayan Viciedo then walked to re-load the bases before Harrison fanned Tyler Flowers.
NOTES: Announced attendance was 21,288 and many of the fans in the upper deck sat under the overhang to stay in the shade. ... Rangers RHP Neftali Feliz (elbow ligament sprain) and Koji Uehara (strained right lat) are scheduled to throw bullpen sessions Friday.
