MILWAUKEE -- A quick glance over the earned run averages for probable pitchers for the series between the Brewers and the White Sox would have led one to believe Chicago was throwing pedestrian pitchers out for the final two games.
But Chris Sale and Jose Quintana aren't ordinary arms.
After Sale got on track against the Brewers on Tuesday, Quintana tossed seven dominant innings Wednesday to lead the White Sox to their first road series win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Milwaukee at Miller Park.
"You're not always going to have guys like this," Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez said. "Sale, he was really good (Tuesday). He has really (nasty) stuff. Quintana, he had been struggling before he came here, but if he continues to pitch like that, he's going to be one of the top guys in the league.
"Every ball was down in the strike zone, and when he wanted, you could see a couple pitches at 94 when he wanted to finish. He's got good stuff . . ."
The White Sox jumped Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson for three first-inning runs to provide Quintana with more run support in one inning than he received in his last two starts combined.
Quintana retired the first six batters he faced before Hector Gomez led off the third with a double down the left-field line. The left-hander recovered to strand the runner by striking out Scooter Gennett and Nelson before retiring Elian Herrera on a ground out to third.
A leadoff walk to Khris Davis in the fourth was quickly erased by a Ryan Braun double play.
Quintana retired the Brewers in order in the fifth and sixth before Davis and Braun led off the seventh with consecutive singles. Carlos Gomez appeared to follow with Milwaukee's third straight hit, but White Sox second baseman Emilio Bonifacio made an outstanding diving play and throw to first for the out.
With two runners in scoring position and the Brewers trailing 4-0, Adam Lind and Martin Maldonado struck out to end the threat.
"Their second baseman made a play," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "To me, that's the difference in the game. That stops an inning in the eighth. We would have had bases loaded with nobody out at least. That was a big play."
Despite having thrown 109 pitches through seven, Quintana came back out to surrender a leadoff triple to Hector Gomez to start the eighth. He then was lifted for reliever Jake Petricka, who allowed the inherited runner to score but got Davis, who represented the tying run at the time, to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Quintana struck out a season-high 10 batters and allowed just one run on four hits and one walk over seven-plus innings Wednesday to earn his first win since April 14.
"He was fantastic," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He was strong, even there at the end. He threw great. He was throwing strikes. He got ahead early. We got him a nice lead, an early rally, in the first that was nice to see. Then, he did it on his own. That's more of the stuff you expect out of him. When he throws strikes like that and is that aggressive, he's been good."
After Carlos Gomez homered off White Sox closer David Robertson in the ninth, Lind walked to bring the tying run to the plate for the Brewers yet again. However, Maldonado lined out to third and Hector Gomez struck out to end the game.
A win Tuesday or Wednesday would have given the Brewers a winning homestand under Counsell. Instead, Milwaukee was shut down by two high-caliber pitchers and settled for a 5-5 record on the 10-day stay at Miller Park.
Quintana picked up right where Sale left off, baffling Brewers hitters for his first double-digit strikeout night of the season.
"He never pitched the same for anyone," Carlos Gomez said. "Some innings, he threw away, and some innings he came high and in. We played good today. I know Jimmy had a tough first inning, but after that he threw the ball great. If he continues to throw the ball like that, we're going to win a lot of games.
"There's nothing I can say. You have to give the credit to Quintana today. He threw the ball good, and that's what it is."
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