GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Jose Quintana appears to be regular-season ready.
With 17 scouts in attendance, the White Sox ace and prime trade candidate as part of the team's rebuilding, pitched 5 2/3 perfect innings during a 4-2 victory over the Reds on Thursday at Camelback Ranch.
Beau Amaral delivered a double down the right-field line to break up the perfect game, and Amaral wasn't even in the Reds' original starting lineup. He got the nod when Desmond Jennings was scratched. Quintana struck out three and allowed two hits in seven innings, throwing 53 of his 79 pitches for strikes and adding another 15 pitches in the bullpen after his start.
"I feel good," Quintana said. "I attacked the zone early. [Catcher Kevan Smith] called a really good game, and I'm happy with that. When you're ahead every batter, it's good. I was getting some quick outs early, and I went long."
• Sox in no hurry to trade Quintana
• Arroyo makes strong case for rotation
Nicky Delmonico drilled a two-run blast in the fourth to give the White Sox an early lead. The blast came after Melky Cabrera opened the frame with a double, but was still at third with two outs. Delmonico has three homers and eight RBIs in Cactus League action, as he added a run-scoring double to right in the sixth inning, bringing home Todd Frazier.
That home run came off of Bronson Arroyo, who allowed the two runs on four hits in four innings, while striking out two and walking one. The non-roster invitee Arroyo is competing for a rotation spot in a crowded mix with six others. But Arroyo's effort was overshadowed by Quintana's performance.
Avisail Garcia was ejected in the eighth inning for disputing a called third strike. It was the White Sox second ejection of the Cactus League.
Reds Up Next:Sal Romano, vying for one of the three open rotation spots, will make his second spring start and sixth outing overall at Goodyear Ballpark against the Brewers at 4:05 p.m. ET on Friday. A 23rd-round pick from 2011, Romano has yet to crack the Majors, and he is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in Cactus League play. Billy Hamilton, who returned from Achilles inflammation as the designated hitter Thursday, is expected to have the day off.
White Sox Up Next:Carlos Rodon makes his second Cactus League start when the White Sox travel to Mesa to take on the A's on Friday. The first pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. CT and will be on MLB.TV. Although Rodon is lined up to pitch in one of the season's first two games, manager Rick Renteria still plans on using Rodon at the back end of the rotation at least at the outset.
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