TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Mike Trout got three more hits, lifting his spring average to .444, and the Los Angeles Angels roughed up Jose Quintana in an 8-6 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
Quintana gave up seven runs on six hits and three walks in three innings, and his exhibition ERA climbed to 16.50. He was 9-7 with a 3.51 ERA last season.
Quintana was late getting to the ballpark because of the traffic in Phoenix. Manager Robin Ventura wondered whether that tardy arrival put him behind on the mound.
“He was up in the strike zone,” Ventura said. “They got some pretty good swings on him.”
Los Angeles tagged Quintana for six runs in the second inning. Howie Kendrick singled, Collin Cowgill walked and Erick Aybar hit a two-run double.
Kole Calhoun tripled home a run, Trout singled and David Freese added an RBI single.
Angels starter Garrett Richards bounced back from a rough outing and allowed seven hits but only two runs over 4 2-3 innings in his third spring start.
“It was a battle day,” Richards said. “It was a good day for damage control. I take pride in being able to make adjustments pitch to pitch.”
Blake Tekotte hit his first spring homer for the White Sox. Micah Johnson drove in three runs for Chicago with two hits.
STARTING TIME
Angels: In his previous start, Richards allowed five runs and eight hits in four innings against Arizona. He emphasized his breaking ball against the White Sox.
“I tried to throw curve ball for strikes and tried to get ground balls,” he said.
Richards was 7-8 with a 4.42 ERA in 47 games with the Angels last year, including 17 starts.
White Sox: In his last start, Quintana was hit in the shin with a line drive and was taken out against Arizona. He had allowed two hits and two runs in that game without recording an out on March 8.
“It was a hard day for me,” Quintana said after facing the Angels. “My curve was not working good. If you have bad starts, it’s better to have them right here.”
WELCOME
Chicago’s Ronald Belisario, 5-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 77 relief appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, made his first appearance of the spring after having visa troubles in his native Venezuela.
Belisario allowed one hit and struck out two in one inning.
“He’s here,” Ventura joked after the game. “He knows how to pitch. We’ll probably run him back out there real soon.”
PROSPECT WATCH
It was a pretty good day for two of Chicago’s top prospects.
Third baseman Matt Davidson, a hopeful to start the season with the big club, went 2 for 3.
Ventura likes what he sees from Johnson, saying he “has a lot of speed and a lot of talent.”
Davidson was acquired from Arizona in a deal for closer Addison Reed. The former first-round pick hit .237 with three homers and 12 RBI in 76 at-bats for the Diamondbacks in 2013.
His chances of making the opener appear to have been enhanced with news of incumbent third baseman Jeff Keppinger’s continued shoulder trouble.
Johnson stole 61 bases and hit .342 with Single-A Kannapolis in 2013 and finished the season with five games for with Double-A Birmingham. He’s not expected to make the big league team.
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