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Quintana: 'It would be awesome' to face ex-teammate Sale

Kamil Krzacynski / USA TODAY Sports

When the Boston Red Sox land in Chicago for a three-game set starting on May 29, it will be a homecoming of sorts for ace Chris Sale.

Whether White Sox faithful will welcome Sale back with open arms - he was traded for prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech - remains to be seen. Jose Quintana, for one, is looking forward to the reunion.

He wants a chance to go toe-to-toe with his former teammate, according to the Chicago Sun Times' Daryl Van Schouwen.

"I know we throw the same day," Quintana said. "I think that would be a good matchup, and I would like to face him one time. I hope we can pitch on the same day. If that’s possible, that would be fun. It would be awesome.’"

The edge would currently belong to Sale. The southpaw is enjoying what could be a Cy Young-caliber season with a 4-2 record and 2.19 ERA. The real draw is his 95 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings, reaching double-digit Ks in eight straight games. He hasn't struck out fewer than 10 in a game since Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But Quintana is also a competitor, and he added that playing with Sale helped his own game on the mound.

"He was one of my best teammates," Quintana said. "I played with him a long time. We had a good relationship, and I learned a lot from him. We talked about hitters, and just about the game, all the time."

Quintana, like Sale, has become a model of consistency. He's pitched at least 200 innings in four consecutive seasons entering 2017. And despite an overall losing record for his career - largely attributed to poor run support - he has a 3.44 ERA over parts of six seasons, and has consistently shown improvement.

Also like Sale, Quintana has been subject to trade rumors and his time in Chicago may be limited. This may be the only time the two can square off on their respective rosters, as the next time they meet is after the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

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