Cubs' Quintana, Giants' Blach meet in battle of lefties (Aug 08, 2017)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Jose Quintana is learning as much about his new team as the Chicago Cubs are learning about their new left-handed starter.
Quintana hopes to take another positive step Tuesday night when he makes his fifth start with Chicago against the Giants and left-hander Ty Blach in the second game of a three-game set.
Chicago took the opener 5-3 on Monday.
Quintana (6-9, 4.42 ERA overall; 2-1, 4.13 ERA for the Cubs) surrendered six runs over five innings in his last start, Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was the only downer on an otherwise strong start since moving from the south side of Chicago with the White Sox to the north side. Arizona hit three home runs on a hitter-friendly day at Wrigley.
"My approach never changes. I just focus on throwing the ball well and hitting my spots and getting my outs," Quintana said. "My confidence is high."
Because of that attitude, Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio is confident Quintana will continue to give Chicago what it wants.
"Before the umpire rolls that ball out, he'll be the guy who picks it up before it stops," Bosio said of Quintana. "He's a true competitor, loves the game, and he's ready to go every fifth game."
The Cubs saw plenty in the 28-year-old native of Colombia that might not have been evident while he was going 4-8 with 4.49 ERA over 18 starts with the White Sox this year.
"He's an up-tempo pitcher who likes to be aggressive, which fits our style," Bosio said. "He's one of the boys. It was nice for him to stay at home, basically come across town, and he fits in with what we do."
Quintana is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in one career start against the Giants. The loss was in 2014 while with the White Sox. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on four hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
"Every time I go to the mound, I try to do the best I can," Quintana said. "That's where I have control. And it's a really good team. I'm just real happy to be here."
San Francisco hopes Blach (7-7, 4.24 ERA) can maintain his recent form as well as the success he experienced against the Cubs earlier this season. On May 22 at Wrigley Field, he went seven innings, allowing three runs with three strikeouts and no walks in a 6-4 victory in his lone career start vs. Chicago.
The 26-year-old native of Denver has won three of five decisions over his past six appearances, posting a 3.05 ERA in that span.
Blach was especially effective in his last start on Thursday -- an eight-inning outing in which he allowed two runs on six hits during an 11-2 victory over the Oakland A's. He also crushed a three-run home run, a drive estimated at 416 feet.
"It was the Ty Blach show," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the win. "He's been one of the silver linings we've seen this year."
Blach will try to get San Francisco back in the win column a night after the Cubs feasted on another Giants lefty, Matt Moore. Chicago's left-handed batters accounted for six of the team's eight hits against Moore.
"We really have to fix this left-handed deal," Bochy said. "Lefties are having too much success off (Moore). If you look at the year, he's got too good of stuff to have left-handers hitting him like this."
