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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Chicago White Sox bullpen surrendered six runs in the sixth inning of a 10-6 loss to the Texas Rangers Tuesday night.

How it happened: Left-handed reliever Donnie Veal was brought in by White Sox manager Robin Ventura to face left-handed hitting Mitch Moreland with a runner on first in the sixth inning of a 4-4 tie. Moreland lined a pitch over the head of left fielder Alejandro De Aza, who was playing shallow and didn’t seem to take the best angle. Geovany Soto scored easily on the double for a 5-4 lead. Ian Kinsler singled off the third reliever of the inning, Nate Jones, scoring Moreland with the sixth Texas run. Then, it turned ugly. Back-to-back wild pitches by Jones enabled a couple of more runs. Adrian Beltre finished off the six-run outburst with a two-run home run and Texas would have all the scoring it would need.

What it means: The White Sox dropped their third straight game in the opener of an eight-game, three-city road trip. After getting off to a quick 2-0 lead against Yu Darvish and then fighting back to overcome a two-run deficit in the sixth, the White Sox bullpen faltered. It is the continuation of a trend. The bullpen was 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA in seven preceding games after performing well (3-3, 1.63) in its first 17 games.

Outside the box: Shortstop Alexei Ramirez had very little reaction time, but that didn’t keep him from making a brilliant defensive play to turn away an early Rangers threat. Ramirez lunged to his left to glove a scalding one-hopper off the bat of Soto and turned it into an easy double play that ended the second inning.

Offbeat: Dewayne Wise was not in the original starting lineup. But when starting center fielder Jordan Danks came up hobbled with an inflamed bursa sac behind his right knee, Wise was inserted in the ninth spot in the order. Wise made the most of his opportunity, matching a career high in hits in a game with four. Wise had singles in his first two trips, followed by a game-tying two-run home run in the sixth, all off Darvish. Wise finished his big night with a double in the eighth. Wise’s home run extended the White Sox streak to nine games in which they have homered.

Up next: Left-hander Chris Sale (2-2), coming off a strong outing in a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay, will go against Nick Tepesch (2-1) Wednesday in a 7:05 p.m. start at Rangers Ballpark.

CHICAGO -- A combination of good pitching and just enough offense helped the Chicago White Sox snap their four-game losing streak.

Starter Jose Quintana extended his scoreless streak to 18 2/3 innings before giving way to the bullpen in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians. Quintana allowed one run in the inning before manager Robin Ventura went to Nate Jones with runners on the corners and nobody out.

Jones gave up a sacrifice fly, but he and his bullpen mates were flawless the rest of the way. The relievers pitched four shutout innings to preserve the win for Quintana and break the losing skid.

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CHICAGO -- Not only are the Chicago White Sox starting a homestand after a rough three-city road trip, they are also welcoming back pitching coach Don Cooper, who missed the past 10 games because of a bout with diverticulitis.

The digestive disorder caused Cooper to be hospitalized while the team was in Washington, D.C., to start the trip, and he didn’t travel with the club to Cleveland or Toronto.

“What it amounted to for me was a bad, bad, bad stomach ache for five days,” Cooper said. “There are so many people that have it so much worse, every day waking up with pain. I’m not going to beef about it.”

Perhaps “beef” wasn’t the best word, although Cooper said he was told by doctors that his digestive issue is likely hereditary, while being brought on by age.

Bullpen coach Bobby Thigpen assumed Cooper’s duties during the road trip.

“It’s good to have him back, just for the stuff he does and the normal interaction for me during the game for the pitchers,” manager Robin Ventura said. “Bobby did a good job, but you kind of feel like everybody is back doing what they are supposed to be doing.”

While at home recovering, Cooper still kept a close eye on the club while watching the games in Cleveland and Toronto. He even got messages to players during the games.

“I was talking to Bobby daily, and I was texting guys during their outings,” Cooper said. “I was texting all the pitchers in their outings. Sometimes, it wasn’t going through with some of the problems with phones in Toronto. But I texted the catchers, the pitchers when they were doing well and when they didn’t, telling them what I was seeing.

“It’s a different perspective and different view than what I normally get right there. There were things you get to see and say to make sure we stay on top with this that and the other things with individual guys.”

Overall, the pitching staff wasn’t at its best while Cooper was away, posting a 4.20 ERA on the road trip while the White Sox were outscored 41-35. But there were some positives.

“Seeing [Jose] Quintana pitch the way he did the last two starts, seeing Jake Peavy in Cleveland, seeing Dylan [Axelrod] up there, Chris [Sale on Thursday] in Toronto, and our bullpen has been great,” Cooper said. “The catchers did a heck of a job.”

Cooper said he grew an even deeper appreciation for his job as pitching coach while being away. And he added that he is making changes to his diet in order to not have the same issue return.

“I guess as you get older you realize you are not bulletproof anymore,” he said. “But [stuff] comes your way, and you deal with it as best as you can and move on. Luckily, it was a small thing for me and so many other things are much, much more difficult to fight through.”

Here's a quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 7-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday:

How it happened: The White Sox gave Jose Quintana some much-deserved run support after wasting a solid effort from the young lefthander in his last start against the Cleveland Indians. Tyler Flowers' three-run home run in the second inning got them on the board. The Sox extended their lead with an RBI double from Alexei Ramirez in the fourth and a home run by Alex Rios in the sixth. Paul Konerko drove in another in the seventh with a sacrifice fly. Quintana didn't allow a run over 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven to earn his first victory of the season.

What it means: The Sox have a chance to salvage a dreadful road trip by taking three of four from the Jays with a victory on Thursday. The Sox bats came alive on Wednesday with 11 hits, including two more for Dayan Viciedo, who has six hits in his last 11 at-bats. Meanwhile, Adam Dunn continued to struggle, going 0-for-4, extending his hitless streak to 21 at-bats.

Next: The White Sox wrap up their series -- and 10-game road trip -- Thursday when Chris Sale (1-1, 5.21 ERA) is opposed by R.A. Dickey (1-2, 5.82 ERA) at 6:05 p.m. CT.

CLEVELAND -- On a chilly April night, with his entire left arm wrapped in ice, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana stood outside of his locker and with a deep sigh of relief, he smiled and said: "I'm back, I'm back."

Coming off a four-inning start in his first start against the Seattle Mariners in which he gave up six runs, Quintana took to the mound on Friday night aided by an extra day of rest trying to give his bullpen some much-needed rest.

Quintana delivered -- even if the Sox bats did not in a 1-0 loss to Justin Masterson -- with seven shutout, one-hit innings.

"I threw my pitches well," Quintana said through the help of an interpreter. "My fastball was there today and it allowed be to have a better game."

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CLEVELAND -- Here's a quick look at the Cleveland Indians' 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night:

How it happened: Nick Swisher took the first pitch he saw from Sox relief pitcher Jesse Crain and placed it right over the outstretched glove of Paul Konerko, driving in the only run in a walk-off victory. Indians starting pitcher Justin Masterson improved to 3-0 with a complete-game shutout, striking out seven and walking one. Crain suffered his first loss of the season after giving up two of Cleveland's three hits. Sox starter Jose Quintana put together seven innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven with no walks. After Matt Thornton came on to pitch a perfect eighth inning, Crain allowed a one-out double to Indians' center fielder Michael Bourn who would score on a game-winning single from Swisher. The Indians managed just three hits on the evening, but managed to capitalize on a pitch-count decision from Chicago manager Robin Ventura.

What it means: After a subpar first start of the season, Quintana stifled the Indians. Given how overworked the Sox bullpen was in Washington, a starter eating up innings has to be a welcomed relief to Sox manager Robin Ventura. The White Sox, however, now fall a half-game behind the Indians for last place in the Central Division.

Outside the box: The Sox managed just two runners in scoring position. Despite strong efforts from the starting pitching, the Sox could not execute on their few opportunities to plate a runner. Cleveland capitalized on the Chicago call to the bullpen.
With his complete game shutout, Masterson has now thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings, topping his personal best from June of 2012.

Off beat: After Connor Gillaspie doubled to deep left to lead off the eighth inning, Alexei Ramirez popped a bunt attempt up to Indians catcher Yan Gomes. A groundout followed by an Alejandro De Aza strikeout squashed all momentum the Sox could muster.

Up next: Chris Sale (1-0, 1.84 ERA) will square off against Cleveland's Zach McAllister (0-1, 3.00 ERA) at 3:05 p.m. CT Saturday.

WASHINGTON -- Washington Nationals starter Dan Haren scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Ryan Zimmerman added a two-run double moments later as Washington completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 7-4 victory Thursday night.

How it happened: The Nationals kept getting key hits at the right time; the White Sox didn’t. Washington scored twice in the third for a 3-1 lead before Chicago’s Alejandro De Aza and Jeff Keppinger got back-to-back RBI singles in the fourth to tie the game. But Washington took over in the bottom half as Haren got a double and later scored on starter Dylan Axelrod's wild pitch to give the Nats a 4-3 lead. Zimmerman lined a two-run double to right later in the inning to go up 6-3. Adam Dunn collected an RBI double in the sixth for the Sox -- a ball that hit about halfway up the left-field wall, coming close to being a game-tying three-run homer.

What it means: It was a night of wasted chances. The White Sox finished with 13 hits, 10 of which came in the first five innings off Haren, who still got the win. Chicago missed on numerous scoring opportunities, finishing just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The White Sox also left 11 on base.

Outside the box: Hector Santiago made just his third appearance of the season but pitched well again. After Axelrod gave up six runs in 3⅔ innings, Santiago blanked the Nationals for 2⅓ innings. That not only kept the Sox in the game, but it extended his scoreless streak to 13⅓ innings dating back to Oct. 1.

Off beat: Numbers tell the story of Axelrod’s long night. He needed 103 pitches to get through 3⅔ innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and taking the loss. There were 40 pitches in the first inning alone, plus four walks. Along with a wild pitch that brought in the go-ahead run in the fourth. Some good news -- Axelrod got his first major league hit. First baseman Adam LaRoche tried to make a diving catch of the pitcher’s sacrifice bunt in fourth but couldn’t quite do it and nobody else could make a play.

Up next: After the interleague series in Washington, the White Sox return to American League competition Friday in Cleveland when Jose Quintana (0-0, 11.25 ERA) takes on Justin Masterson (2-0, 0.69) in the series opener.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox will alter their pitching rotation during the upcoming road trip, moving Dylan Axelrod into the upcoming series at Washington against the Nationals.

The White Sox also announced that Jose Quintana will be moved to Friday’s series opener at Cleveland.

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CHICAGO – Pitching coach Don Cooper used the power of positive thinking Saturday, one day after Jose Quintana struggled in his debut outing of 2013.

Whether the White Sox would see the good Quintana from the first of 2012 or the bad Quintana from the second half was one of the hot topics of the spring. His second-half struggles clouded the fact that his 3.76 ERA over 25 outings (22 starts) of his debut season was an impressive accomplishment.

But on Friday against the Seattle Mariners, his inability to retire any of the seven batters he faced in the fifth inning left him with an outing where he gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits. Second-half Quintana seems have followed him into this year.

“The second half of last year means nothing; it means nothing,” Cooper said Saturday morning. “Listen, this kid last year, if you remember, came from basically A-ball, he had two weeks in Double-A, pitched his (tail) off and as the year went on his innings total got as high as it has ever been.

“There is a big difference from throwing 140 innings in the major leagues and 140 innings in the minor leagues. There’s no rest in the lineup.”

The 24-year-old’s relative inexperience showed Friday night when he melted down after making an error on a play at first base. The miscue was one thing, but he compounded things by grooving pitches in an effort to get ahead in counts with runners on base.

He remains a work in progress for Cooper, but the veteran pitching coach is far from suggesting that Quintana is going to have trouble figuring out things.

“All I look at from last year is where do we need to go, what do we need to improve on, how do we round out a guy’s game and continue to put a guy in a good direction career wise and success wise?” Cooper said. “It’s like spring training, (last year) means nothing.

“In the moment right now, we just have to keep trying to make more pitches and obviously a little roller like that to first base, that has to be an out. It’s a gimmie out in the major leagues and we have to get that one. But listen, it’s his first full year in the major leagues and he has a challenge ahead of him.”

CHICAGO – For a guy who faltered down the stretch in 2012, it wasn’t exactly the outing Jose Quintana had in mind to start a new season.

The White Sox left-hander imploded in the fifth inning, giving up five runs in what ultimately led to an 8-7 defeat in 10 innings against the Seattle Mariners.

Not only did seven consecutive batters reach base against Quintana to start the fifth inning, he was pulled from the game when the Mariners delivered hits on each of his last four pitches.

After already giving up two hits in the seventh, the inning seemed to really get off the tracks when he failed to handle a toss from Paul Konerko while trying to cover first base. With the toss a little behind him, Quintana tried to barehand the ball but dropped it.

The floodgates opened after that, as the Mariners started to pour it on. Manager Robin Ventura agreed that the error was what ultimately spelled disaster.

“He got some stuff up, and they are aggressive,” Ventura said. “They were swinging at some first pitches, probably trying to get back in the counts. They put some good swings on him.”

Despite temperatures in the low 30s and dropping all evening, Quintana refused to use the cold as an excuse.

“It didn’t affect me at all,” he said through an interpreter. “I saw the temperature and it was cold, but it didn’t affect me.”

There were two wildly different stretches for Quintana last year, one in which he was dominating in the early going, and one when he struggled late, posting a 5.01 ERA over 14 starts in the second half. Friday was merely a continuation of the Quintana from the second half.

“I felt pretty good with my command,” Quintana said about Friday’s outing. “There were some things I looked at on video that I could change and do better at, and I will try to do better.”

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox rallied to force extra innings Friday, but the Seattle Mariners came through in the 10th with an 8-7 victory.

How it happened: In his second inning of work in the 10th, White Sox reliever Nate Jones gave up a pair of runs. They were the first two runs the White Sox’s bullpen had given up in the first four games. Dewayne Wise had an RBI in the 10th inning, but the White Sox left the bases loaded when Tyler Flowers struck out to end it. After White Sox starter Jose Quintana faltered, the offense put together a rally. Quintana was roughed up for six runs (five earned) over just four innings, failing to get an out in the fifth. Paul Konerko's RBI single in the fourth inning was his 2,137th hit with the White Sox, breaking a tie with Frank Thomas and moving him into sole possession of third on the club’s all-time list.

What it means: The White Sox put on their overalls and went into the manufacturing business for the first time this season but ultimately fell short. Give them credit for creativity as Adam Dunn helped to get things going with a steal just ahead of an RBI single from Konerko. Flowers also doubled in a run while Alex Rios brought home the tying run on a ground out. Their 10th-inning rally fell just short. Before the game, the White Sox had scored six of their first seven runs on home runs. Of course they went deep in this one too with Rios and Alejandro De Aza hitting home runs.

Outside the box: The Mariners had figured out Quintana so quickly and thoroughly that they knocked him from the game by collecting hits on his last four pitches. Seven batters reached base in succession against Quintana in the fifth inning, including one on his own error when he tried to bare hand a throw from Konerko while covering first base.

Off beat: Call it the initiation of the new guy as reliever Matt Lindstrom was asked to pitch 2 1/3 innings after Quintana was yanked in the fifth inning. The free-agent signee showed he was up for the challenge by striking out two and not allowing a hit. The outing matched a career long for Lindstrom, who also got seven outs in an outing last year.

Up next: The White Sox will send right-hander Dylan Axelrod (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound Saturday in the middle game of the three game series. He will be opposed by Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez (1-0, 0.00) in the 12:10 p.m. start from U.S. Cellular Field.

The second of three off days in the Cactus League schedule forced Chicago White Sox starter Jose Quintana to get his work done Tuesday in a simulated game.

The left-hander reached the five-inning mark (75 pitches) a day after Chris Sale became the first White Sox starter to go five innings when he faced the Colorado Rockies on Monday. Quintana faced White Sox minor-league hitters on a back field at the White Sox’s spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz.

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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Left-handed starter Jose Quintana made an early spring training statement by throwing three perfect innings for the Chicago White Sox in his 2013 Cactus League debut on Saturday.

The team’s young pitching staff has three southpaws that will break camp as rotation starters. Quintana seems to get the least attention of the group.

“I have worked hard in the offseason,” he said through a translator. “I expect to have a real good season because of the hard work I put in.”

Quintana faded badly in the second half of the 2012 season, posting a 2-5 mark after the All-Star break. He was 4-1 prior to the halfway mark. In order to avoid the same type of erosion in 2013, the young pitcher worked on conditioning over the winter.

“Last year after the season, I took a little break,” Quintana said. “After that, I went right to work concentrating on durability going into 2013.” That work included weights and cardio training.

The Colombia native was a relative unknown before signing with the White Sox as a free agent in November 2011. Quintana had been released by the New York Yankees after putting up a 10-2 record in Class A. Some baseball people were concerned about his off-field activity after serving a 50-game suspension in 2007 for violating minor league baseball’s drug-prevention program. He was released by the New York Mets after the 2007 season.

Quintana has been a solid player since joining the Sox. His offseason regimen included working on his secondary pitches.

He threw 39 pitches in his three innings of work Saturday and another 15 in the bullpen. “I am working on the changeup,” he said. “I am working on all areas of my game; the changeup is my main concentration.”

Robin Ventura liked what he saw from his young pitcher on Saturday.

“There are no problems here,” said the Sox manager. “He is a hard worker, and he comes in ready to work every day. He is committed to being a big leaguer for a long time.

“He comes in with that attitude [that] he belongs. When he is out there you think he has been around a little while.”

Doug Padilla previews the White Sox by position in the days leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training on Feb. 12.

If the Chicago White Sox's pitching staff is supposed to drive the team to success in 2013, consider the starting rotation the engine. There is a Cy Young Award winner in the mix and another potential winner to head the list. There is a veteran who has shown stretches of dominance and a young up-and-comer with youth and savvy on his side. Add to that a former Opening Day starter who is returning from injury and that could make this one of the better groups in the game, as long as he reaches peak performance quickly.

1. Chris Sale, LHP: The lean lefty has star potential written all over him thanks to a blazing fastball and a wicked slider. Not a lock to be the Opening Day starter, but picking him would make sense. The only change in his offseason regimen to combat a late-season fade in 2012 is to increase his cardio work. The chief concern will be how his young arm bounces back after a huge bump in innings from 71 in 2011 to 192 last season.

2. Jake Peavy, RHP: All heart and guts, Peavy's mental side is everything you want from a starting pitcher. Common sense says that he will be even better another year away from surgery, but he actually continues into uncharted waters with his unique latissimus dorsi reattachment procedure in 2010. His new two-year deal, that will pay him $14.5 million each of the next two seasons, looks to be a smart White Sox buy and is comparable to what free agents Ryan Dempster, Dan Haren and Hiroki Kuroda will make in 2013.

3. Gavin Floyd, RHP: Everybody has witnessed a dominating Floyd before, the trick is to get it out of him again. The right-hander's 12-start stretch in 2010 where he posted a 1.19 ERA and a .203 opponents' batting average will forever be mentioned as his maximum potential. What's to make of his 12-11 record and 4.29 ERA in 2012 that was strikingly similar to his 12-13 mark and 4.37 ERA in 2011? He threw 25 2/3 less innings last season and his WHIP went from 1.16 in 2011 to 1.36 last year.

4. Jose Quintana, LHP: Hard to knock the biggest revelation of 2012 for his fade down the stretch. His 4.20 ERA in August was followed by a 6.75 mark in September while he allowed a tick under two walks/hits per inning in that final month. Overall, though, his 3.76 ERA over 25 outings (22 starts) was far better than could have been expected from somebody with just nine games of experience above the Single-A level before he was called up last May.

5. John Danks, LHP: The White Sox won't put a timetable for Danks' return from shoulder surgery, although it seems clear that if he isn't back by May 1 a setback will have occurred. To the lefty's credit, he fully intends to take his first turn in the rotation when the season begins. Shorter outings are expected immediately after he returns, which has the potential to put a strain on the bullpen. If he rounds into top form by the All-Star break, the club could be in business.

With Danks' uncertain status, there will be a mad dash in spring training for what could be one or two available starts in April. Dylan Axelrod and Hector Santiago will be out to impress, with even Zach Stewart getting a shot after he recently returned to the organization via a waiver claim.

The most interesting battle of the spring, though, could be Sale vs. Peavy for the Opening Day assignment on April 1 against the Kansas City Royals. Based on his career track record and his new White Sox contract, Peavy could get the nod. But Sale not only had the numbers last season to earn the role, he represents a young talent that could be in the front of the club's rotation for a long time.

OUTLOOK: With a young guy at the front of the rotation and a pitcher returning from injury at the back of it, Floyd could play a big role in the staff's success. He doesn't have to turn into a 20-game winner all of a sudden, but he had better give more than 168 innings. The expectation on Peavy isn't to return to a Cy Young winner again, except maybe from Peavy. But his 2.85 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in the first half of 2012 shows he has plenty left in the tank. Not to say that the White Sox have a shaky offense, but neutralizing opposing teams' run production, especially Detroit's, will be the club's best chance of success in a division they won't be favored to win. This team was built on pitching. The starters are on the spot.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While much of the praise for the Chicago White Sox starting rotation depends on a healthy John Danks in 2013, manager Robin Ventura prefers to take the cautious approach.

Like general manager Rick Hahn did Monday from baseball’s annual winter meetings, Ventura also gushed over his group of starters.

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