CHICAGO _ So desperate were the Mariners to reach base Saturday night against Jose Quintana that Chris Ianetta tried to take first base on ball three.
Quintana wasn't falling for the tomfoolery during the White Sox's 9-3 victory, quickly reminding Ianetta, and every one of the 27,318 at U.S. Cellular Field, of the count by flashing three fingers then two.
The All-Star left-hander unfilled the full count on the next pitch when Ianetta swung at strike three to end the fifth inning.
The White Sox, though, had no such problems reaching the bases, and clearing them, some times faster than others.
Todd Frazier, who singled to start a four-run rally in the fifth, chugged home from first base as Justin Morneau caboosed behind him to third with an RBI triple. Avisail Garcia saved Morneau some breath when he hit a 415-foot home run for a 6-1 lead.
Catcher Alex Avila, playing his first game after missing nearly two months with a bum right hamstring, guided the next pitch just over the left-field wall to make it 7-1.
"I feel like it's opening day for me," Avila said before the game.
Quintana, though, was in midseason form.
After yielding a double to Leonys Martin to lead off the game, Quintana retired 11 in a row.
The soft-spoken Quintana, who entered Saturday third in the American League with a 2.84 ERA, quieted the Mariners bats for the most part. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts before he departed to a standing ovation, his 72/3 innings in the books.
Quintana's performance was anticipated by Sox ace 1A Chris Sale, who struck out 14, walked none and received the opposite of run support during the Sox's 3-1, complete-game loss Friday.
"We have just as good of a chance, if not a better chance (Saturday) with 'Q,' " Sale said Friday night after receiving no such offense.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura praised Quintana's attitude as the team traditionally has done a terrible job giving him run support. He said Quintana never has wavered.
He reached 10 victories this season, a big benchmark he said, after three straight nine-win seasons. And now he has 11 victories.
"He has come a long way as far as getting himself into that next category, which is guys you can count on, getting up in that elite category," Ventura said. "I know it has taken a little while for everyone else to realize it, but we have the utmost confidence when he goes out there."
Hitters, on the other hand, don't. The Mariners are testament to that.
Quintana has allowed four or fewer earned runs in 47 of his last 49 starts.
For a change, the Sox wasted little time offensively on Saturday. Tim Anderson tripled and scored on Melky Cabrera's sacrifice fly to tie it 1-1 in the first. Cabrera returned after missing two games with the flu.
Jose Abreu then stretched his hitting streak to 10 games with a 425-foot home run to center for a 2-1 lead.
Tyler Saladino singled home Garcia in the fifth and added a two-run homer in the seventh that put the Sox on top 9-2.
Fittingly, Quintana struck out the last batter he faced, Martin, on his 104th pitch.
Quintana patted Avila on the helmet before heading for the dugout, another job well done.
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