James Shields of the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds play in opposite leagues and rarely see each other Isaac Yiadom Color Rush Jersey , yet they currently have much in common.
Now that they’re starting to make something out of what appeared to be a totally lost season, they’d like to keep it going.
The Reds got off to the worst start in baseball at 8-27, one so bad that getting to .500 looked to be as much of a challenge as winning a division title would be for most teams.
But when the Reds (36-48) take on the right-handed Shields and the White Sox on Monday night at Great American Ball Park, in the teams’ first matchup since 2015, they’ll be one of the majors’ hottest clubs. They’ve won 11 of 14 after taking the final two games of a four-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and interim manager Jim Riggleman now has a 33-33 record for a last-place team.
Considering that Riggleman took over a Reds team that was 3-15 under former manager Bryan Price, that’s something of an accomplishment. And the Reds own a 6-1 record in interleague games.
“We know we can play with these teams that are in first place in their division,” Riggleman said.
They’re winning now in grand fashion, too. Jose Peraza hit the team’s major league-leading ninth grand slam Sunday in an 8-2 win over the Brewers, their second in two games (pitcher Michael Lorenzen hit a pinch-grand slam Saturday) and sixth in 17 games. They’ve already tied a club season record.
“We’ve been getting better at-bats … and we’ve happened to have men on base,” Riggleman said.
Cincinnati starter Matt Harvey pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings before being lifted after a rain delay, and the Reds dealt Brewers rookie Freddy Peralta (3-1), who gave up three runs in five innings, his first major league loss. Peralta allowed only one hit in seven shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals in his previous start.
“That’s probably the best I’ve felt since 2013 Josey Jewell Color Rush Jersey ,” said Harvey (4-5), who won his third straight start.
Shields (3-9), likewise, is beginning to see a ray of sunshine in what previously was a gloomy season. He’s coming off his best start of the year, pitching seven shutout innings and giving up four hits Wednesday in a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was his 12th quality start of the season, or five more than he had all of last season.
Shields still isn’t the pitcher that won 13 or more games seven times from 2008 to 2015, but it hasn’t helped that he’s pitching for a team that’s off to the second worst start in franchise history. He has allowed a respectable six earned runs in his last four starts, and twice yielded one or no runs while lasting at least seven innings.
At age 36, Shields is making adjustments to compensate for his decreased velocity, yet has pitched at least six innings in 12 of his last 13 starts for a last-place team.
“My body’s feeling really good this year, and this is kind of what I’ve done my whole career,” Shields told reporters after the game against the Twins. “I strive to go as deep as I possibly can in games and so far it’s been good.
“I’m not throwing as hard as I used to. If I were to throw over the top, I’d still throw a little harder than I am right now. (But) at the end of the day, I’m feeling really good with my delivery right now DaeSean Hamilton Color Rush Jersey , my mechanics. It’s been a lot of fun making these adjustments.”
Shields goes against Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (5-8), who was 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five June starts. He retired the first 11 batters he faced Wednesday at Atlanta, only to give up four quick runs on a walk and five consecutive singles, although the Reds came back to win 6-5.
Castillo is 0-1 in two starts against American League clubs this season, giving up eight runs in six innings. He has never faced the White Sox.
Shields is 18-18 with a 4.57 ERA in interleague play and 0-2 in two career starts against the Reds, the last of which was in 2015.
The White Sox (29-54) ended a three-game losing streak Sunday by salvaging the final game of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, winning 10-5 as Avisail Garcia went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
The Reds have won five consecutive interleague games but are facing the White Sox at Great American Ball Park for the first time since 2009. The White Sox are 16-4 overall against the Reds and 10-2 in Cincinnati, though that success there predated any of the current players.
Texas was expected to be one of the major leagues’ top power teams this season despite being in rebuilding mode.
The Rangers proved that premise to be true when they flexed their considerable muscle on Friday and ripped five home runs, three of them in the first two innings, to set the tone in an 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the first game of a three-game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.
The White Sox will try to get back on track with left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-2, 3.70 ERA) taking the hill Saturday to oppose ageless Rangers right-hander Bartolo Colon (4-5, 4.72).
The Rangers’ win provided a night off for closer Keone Kela, who on Wednesday saved his 20th game in 20 chances Sylvester Williams Color Rush Jersey , the longest season-opening streak in club history. Kela broke Francisco Cordero’s 2004 record of 19 consecutive saves and now has converted 22 straight chances dating to May 2017.
The 22 consecutive saves constitute the third-longest streak in Texas history. Kela is nine saves shy of tying Joe Nathan’s club record of 31 consecutive converted saves in 2012.
“It’s a nice comfort zone to have,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about Kela. “Most of the saves have been clean innings. (It has been fun) to watch the maturation process of Key out there on a nightly basis being able to calm it down and just go pitch by pitch.”
It looks as if the White Sox will be without right-hander Miguel Gonzales for a while longer. Gonzales, who has been on the 60-day disabled list since April 18 with right rotator cuff inflammation, returned from his rehab assignment after experiencing soreness in a throwing session after the start for Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.
“It’s a little setback,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria told mlb.com about Gonzales’ situation. “He still felt a little something so he’s going to be re-seen, re-evaluated, and we’ll see where we go from there.”
Gonzalez opened the season in the rotation but was 0-3 with a 12.41 ERA before landing on the disabled list. This is the second time he has had to restart his rehab.
Rodon is scheduled to make his fifth start of the season. It will be his third start on the road and fifth career start against Texas. He picked up the win in his last start on June 24 at home against Oakland when he allowed two runs and seven hits with three strikeouts in eight innings.
Rodon is 1-0 with a 3.91 ERA and .245 opponents’ average in his previous starts against the Rangers.
Colon will head to the mound for the 17th time this season and make his 15th start. He enters with 244 career wins, most in MLB history by a native of the Dominican Republic. He recently passed Juan Marichal (243) and is one win shy of matching Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez (245) for most victories by a native of Latin America.
Colon ranks among AL leaders in pitches per inning (fifth, 15.0) and SO/BB ratio (ninth, 4.15) but has also permitted 19 home runs, third most in the AL. He will pitch on an extra days’ rest after taking loss in the Rangers’ 2-0 defeat on Sunday at Minnesota.
The former White Sox pitcher (12 starts in 2009) did not face Chicago in the clubs’ earlier series. He is 11-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 24 career appearances (all starts) against Chicago.
