Levine: Jose Quintana Mystifies Red Sox

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- One of the best-kept secrets in baseball, White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana won his fourth game while lowering his ERA to 1.40 in a 4-1 victory against the Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday night.

Nationally, Quintana may not be well-known, but with every outing like Tuesday, the word is spreading -- especially among the batters who can 't hit him.

"He is rarely in the middle of the plate," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He pitches to the edge so effectively. He has a number of different looks he can give you. For example, he started to use a first-pitch curve ball to get a strike the second or third time through the order. He is just a very good pitcher."

From 2012-'15, the formerly unlucky Quintana had 54 no-decisions, the most in baseball. He's taken just one this year amid a 4-1 start. On Tuesday, he held the Red Sox to one run on four hits in eight strong innings, walking none and striking out five.

"I don't know in my case what it is, I have not had any luck with him," Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz said..

It may have to be luck at the pace Quintana is going. A fifth-inning solo home run by Hanley Ramirez is all the only blemish on the scoreboard that he's allowed in his last 22 2/3 innings.

"Everything has changed," Quintana said. "Everything is going in a new direction this year. We do a job of playing each game day to day."

The key to the White Sox's 19-8 record, the best in the American League, has been the solid pitching and great defense they have played. Chicago's starting pitchers have given up two runs or fewer in 17 of their 27 games. On Tuesday, outfielders Adam Eaton and Austin Jackson each made sensational over-the-head catches to rob extra bases from Red Sox hitters.

"Those were great plays behind me," Quintana said. "Next time I will try not to make mistakes, so they don't have to do that. Our defense and offense have been there this year."

Although the White Sox offense hasn't been prolific, it has been clutch, scoring 52 of its 106 runs in the seventh inning or later.

"We are playing against good teams, and we are always in the game," third baseman Todd Frazier said. "Everyone is talking about the late runs, and it happened again (two insurance runs added in the eighth). With our pitchers doing what they have, like Jose tonight, it is pretty exciting and keeps us mentally and physically in the game. Basically, we are driving the bus right now, and we aren't stopping. We have to keep on rolling. Are we going to lose some games? Sure we are. We know that we are going to be in every game."

These White Sox represent a stark departure from last year's club, which despite having good players more or less rolled over if a foe grabbed an early lead.

"All the way around, we are catching the ball and doing some really smart things with it," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "We are just limiting what the other team can do. For us, there is confidence that builds in that."

If that the difference between the 2016 White Sox and the 2015 White Sox?

"Probably," Ventura said.

Chicago's 19-8 start is its best start since 2008, when it started at the same pace.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.