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Quintana shuts out Dodgers over eight frames

When starter John Danks went on the disabled list, the White Sox hoped young left-hander Jose Quintana could just pitch well enough to help the team stay afloat. They didn't expect much more out of him.

But Quintana has been solid in the starting role and, with Philip Humber now also on the DL, Quintana will likely stay in the rotation for a while longer.

Quintana will try to keep his strong month going when he takes the mound for the White Sox in Sunday's series finale against the Brewers at U.S. Cellular Field.

"We don't want to rush [Danks] back and try to push him in there before he's ready," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said recently. "That's the cushion and the convenience of having a guy pitching as well as 'Q'."

Quintana, 23, has allowed only three runs in 20 innings (1.35 ERA) in June. He's 2-1 with a 1.53 ERA on the season.

While Quintana's early success has come as a surprise to some, it doesn't seem to have caught him off guard.

"I've worked hard to get to this position," Quintana said Saturday. "I would say one of the biggest surprises is just how well the team has taken me in, and that's a great feeling."

Quintana was dominant in his last start against the Dodgers a week ago, as he needed only 77 pitches to throw eight shutout innings. He allowed five hits while striking out six and walking none, but got a no-decision when Addison Reed blew the lead in the ninth.

The Brewers will counter with right-hander Mike Fiers, their own surprising young pitcher who has gotten an opportunity as a result of injuries.

Fiers, who made his first Major League start May 29 against the Dodgers, is 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA in four starts. He last started on June 16 against the Twins, but Fiers pitched a scoreless inning in relief on Wednesday against Toronto.

While the sample size is small, Fiers has pitched his best away from Miller Park. He's 2-0 in two road starts, allowing only two combined runs in 14 innings. Fiers gave up just nine combined hits in the two starts.

White Sox: Slumping Viciedo breaks out in big way
• Left fielder Dayan Viciedo broke out of his recent slump Saturday night when he went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in Chicago's 8-6 win. Viciedo entered Saturday's game hitting just .132 (7-for-53) with one extra-base hit and only two RBIs in 19 June games.

• Center fielder Alejandro De Aza was out of the lineup Saturday against the Brewers, only his second off-day of the season. De Aza pinch-hit in the eighth inning and flied out. He's hitting .291 with four home runs and 28 RBIs.

Brewers: Ramirez extends hitting streak to seven games
• When the Brewers lost slugging first baseman Prince Fielder to free agency, they brought in third baseman Aramis Ramirez to help replace some of Fielder's run production.

Ramirez has done just that of late, extending his hitting streak to seven games by going 2-for-4 on Saturday against the White Sox. The former Chicago Cub is hitting .355 (22-for-62) with seven doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs in his last 15 games.

"I started swinging the bat pretty well, driving the ball and getting some extra bases," Ramirez said. "That's what I'm here to do, to help the team as much as I can, and stay healthy."

Ramirez is hitting .270 with nine home runs and 42 RBIs.

• The Brewers placed right-hander Shaun Marcum on the 15-day disabled list with elbow tightness prior to Saturday's game. Manager Ron Roenkicke expects Marcum to return June 30 or July 1. He was replaced on the active roster by first baseman Travis Ishikawa, who was reinstated from the DL.

Worth noting
• Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun extended his hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI single in the third inning Saturday night. Braun, who is hitting .320 with 20 home runs and 52 RBIs on the season, has also hit safely in 27 consecutive Interleague games.

• Orlando Hudson's double on Saturday was his first hit in the last six games for the White Sox. Hudson entered Saturday's game without a hit in his previous 14 at-bats.

• White Sox right fielder Alex Rios went 3-for-4 with the game-winning RBI on Saturday night. He's hitting .325 (25-for-77) with four home runs and 11 RBIs in June.

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