May 17, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers (21), starting pitcher Chris Sale (49) and pitching coach Don Cooper (99) walk from the bullpen before playing against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Before anything else, how about that Jose Quintana kid, huh?

Dylan Axelrod made a good Red Sox lineup look ordinary on Monday and Quintana went a step further to make them look inept at squaring pitches up through 6.1 innings of no-hit ball.

It might come off as a slight to the secondary pitches he’s been steadily working on and incorporating more, but Quintana’s success is a testament to how much can be done with elite fastball command. Nine of the 11 swings-and-misses Quintana induced Tuesday night were off his four-seam fastball, which he showed more ability to rush up in the mid-90′s, touching 95 mph in the late-May heat. He also pounded the zone, started 17 of 24 batters with a strike and established enough command to make the instances where he climbed the ladders with high heat that much more effective. It’s his set-up pitch and his put-away offering.

That said, it was probably more of a night of incredible locating for Quintana, rather than a new breakthrough in his ability level. But his progress is so steady that there’s no real point differentiating.

Chris Sale’s shoulder

Any Chris Sale injury is reason to hold family members desperately and weep in fear, but the White Sox are out ahead of the panic about tendinitis in the back of Sale’s pitching shoulder–minimizing its severity and insisting Sale will be ready for his next start after getting scratched for Wednesday’s game.

Ventura has termed the measure as “precautionary,” yes Sale admitted that the injury left him unable to complete his mid-week throwing program and the team doctor shut had to command him to sit out. The idea that Sale would ever ignore this condition and grit his way through a start in late-May seems like more of a product of his own reckless determination–which is welcome!–than something a baseball organization would actually knowingly approve.

It’s encouraging that there’s no declining performance or long-term concern associated with this injury yet, but placing absolute confidence that a lingering pain will be a non-issue after one turn through the rotation is a shade too trusting until we actually reach next week.

Naturally, sitting in the wake of all this concern over a more heralded pitcher and eagerly accepting the ball on short rest despite throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday is Hector Santiago. The difference in treatment is stark, and one that Santiago obviously realizes is necessary if he’s going to continue to grab opportunities.

John Danks

Santiago was originally scheduled to start Friday. His shifting makes the decision on when John Danks should make his return during the series opener against the Miami Marlins a seemingly foregone conclusion. The day off Thursday means the Sox could not promote Danks and still avoid pushing anyone into another short rest situation

Yet the open slot and the easy transition against a punchless, Giancarlo Stanton- free offense it offers is as close as it comes to an ideal setting for Danks’ return…

…save for perhaps a less adrenaline-soaked game on the road.

…or not till after Danks can post strong results in AAA, to ease concerns since he couldn’t post good results before the surgery and his struggles to post good results in spring training prompted this rehab assignment in the first place.

Beyond that, working through command and velocity troubles against the Marlins is the best choice.

If nothing else, the Sale missed start allows for the Sox to go through the starting rotation once more before making a call on who, if anyone, will get pushed aside to make more room for what John Danks can contribute to a ballclub.

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Jeff Keppinger, yes, Jeff Keppinger, supplied all the offense the White Sox would need in support of Jose Quintana (Mike DiNovo, USA TODAY Sports).

Jose Quintana no-hit the Red Sox through six and a third innings and led the White Sox to a 3-1 victory and series victory over Boston.  David Ortiz broke up the no-hitter with a broken bat single to center field, which was actually followed by two more hits from Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava to load the bases and knock Quintana out of the game.

Jesse Crain inherited those three Boston base runners and promptly struck out Will Middlebrooks and Stephen Drew to escape the jam and end Quintana’s line without an earned run given up.

Jeff Keppinger supplied all of the offense the White Sox needed with a two-run, two-out home run in the bottom of the fifth inning off of Red Sox starter Felix Doubront.  It was Keppinger’s first home run of the year.

Boston mounted a threat in the eighth inning, when Matt Thornton allowed a dreaded leadoff walk and a single.  Matt Lindstrom came in and allowed a run to score, when Alexei Ramirez committed an error on a hard hit grounder by Dustin Pedroia.  But with the tying run on third base and only one out, Lindstrom induced an inning-ending 3-6-3 double play off of the bat of David Ortiz.

The White Sox tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning and Addison Reed, amid a downpour of warm rain, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning 16^th save of the year and second in as many days.

Up Next: The White Sox go for the sweep on Wednesday night at 7:10 when Hector Santiago, who is filling in for Chris Sale (who was scratched with a sore left shoulder) takes on Boston ace Clay Buchholz.

May 16, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

I spent at least five minutes trying to rack my brain to remember who the White Sox starting pitcher is for tonight’s game. I typically don’t have to look these things up since I know everyone on the roster and every game feels like a recent event in my life that I paid more attention to than certain dinners with my family or conversations with friends. Usually I can just hash it out in my head.

Hmm…Chris Sale Day isn’t till the end of the series, Danks might be the Friday night game you’re going to but it’s currently listed as Santiago, Jake Peavy just pitched this weekend, Dylan Axelrod was last night. Who is it? Isn’t there some other guy? I’m seeing a generic white face…

Oh no, it’s Jose Quintana. With that my heart sank. I cannot recall the last outing where I thought something other than “Jose did alright, considering all the crazy crap that happened.”

The man has only had three quality starts in eight times out, and while I use ‘quality starts’ way too much for such a flawed stat, the point here is that forces have been conspiring to run up Jose’s pitch count before he can get through even six innings.

But really, we’ve gotten everything we could ask for from Quintana this year. His ERA (3.76, 114 ERA+ in 2012) has risen with the run environment (3.97, 112 ERA+ this season) and it has a more stable base going forward than his fluky rookie success offered. His strikeout rate has bloomed, increasing 3.5% without any damage done to his pristine control, as he continues to more consistent results from his slider and curve.

It’s a good thing he’s not mired in this debate of who’s going to lose their spot to a post-op John Danks. It would be unjust.

White Sox lineup

1. Alejandro De Aza – CF
2. Alexei Ramirez – SS
3. Alex Rios – RF
4. Paul Konerko– 1B
5. Adam Dunn – DH
6. Dayan Viciedo – LF
7. Jeff Keppinger – 3B
8. Tyler Flowers – C
9. Tyler Greene – 2B

Jose Quintana, SP

Whoooa, why can’t Boston starter Felix Doubront throw strikes anymore?!? He’s walked 22 batters in 37.1 innings, has lost two miles on his fastball from last season and is pitching for his life in the Boston starting rotation. His peripherals suggest the Red Sox should some some patience for him and his 6.01 ERA, since that .400 BABIP probably won’t hold. The White Sox will need to be patient and reel Doubront in and oh no oh no oh no oh no….

The Sox have actually gotten a lot better at taking walks (14th in AL, 27th in MLB. The Cubs and their sanctimonious, newly-devoted to sabermetric fanbase are dead last) but this is still pretty far from a strength. It’s weakness. This is a weakness. They are not good at this.

Boston Red Sox lineup

1. Jacoby Ellsbury – CF
2. Jonny Gomes – LF
3. Dustin Pedroia – 2B
4. David Ortiz – DH
5. Mike Napoli – 1B
6. Daniel Nava – RF
7. Will Middlebrooks – 3B
8. Stephen Drew – SS
9. Jarrod Saltalamacchia – C

Felix Doubront, SP

Jonny Gomes would have worked his way into a lineup against a left-hander without help, but Shane Victorino’s hamstring being injured opened up a slot at the top of the order for him. That is the absolute only change in these lineups for either team from last night. Goodness, spice things up, guys. Put David Ortiz in left field or just wear Red Sox and no pants or something kooky.

Where to Watch: WCIU. Haha, jokes on all of us, right guys? Hey, here’s a still shot of a dog, and lemme tell you, this dog loves this mediocre sitcom that’s in syndication on our crappy network and surely the recommendation of a dog is enough to convince you to watch a television show, right guys?

Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan