White Sox: Jose Quintana Struggles In Season Opener Against Tigers
White Sox All-Star pitcher struggles in first career Opening Day start against Tigers. The left-hander gave up three home runs early to Detroit.
The Chicago White Sox season opener on April 3 was cancelled due to rain. With the Sox delaying the start to its 2017 season by one day, Jose Quintana would have to wait longer to get his first Opening Day start. Unfortunately, the wait didn’t do Quintana any good as he struggled against the Tigers.
The Sox would lose their opening game 6-3 to the Tigers on Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Quintana’s start was his worst to start any season since 2013. The native Colombian was bested on the mound by Tigers ace Justin Verlander. The All-Star left hander pitched just 5.1 innings on Tuesday.
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With the Sox finally starting their season on Tuesday, they got off to a quick 1-0 lead against Verlander in the first inning. Tyler Saladino led off the Sox season with a single, and would later score on a double by Melky Cabrera. The veteran outfielder was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple.
The Tigers roared back in the top of the second inning. With a 1-0 lead, Quintana was unable to hold the Tigers off as Jacoby Jones hit his first MLB home run. Jones hit a three run home run off Quintana in the second inning to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Nick Castellanos hit a two-run home run off Quintana in the second inning to extend the Tigers lead to 5-1. Ian Kinsler hit a solo home run in the fourth inning giving the Tigers a 6-1 lead. This would be more than enough for Verlander as he recorded 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched on Tuesday.
While the Sox offense struggled against Verlander, there were some bright spots from the South Siders lineup. Saladino and Cabrera each had two hits against Verlander, but the rest of the Sox offense was non-existent. Jose Abreu would also get two hits on the day, but only one hit against Verlander. Cabrera became the first Sox player since Frank Thomas in 1999 to hit two doubles on Opening Day.
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With the loss, the Sox drop to 0-1 on the season. Sox manager Rick Renteria couldn’t win his managerial debut on the South Side, but he should be able to get his first victory before the end of the homestand. The Sox will send James Shields to the mound against the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.