Major League Baseball

White Sox-Marlins preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:34 p.m. ET

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MIAMI -- Chicago White Sox right-hander James Shields' nine-year streak of double-figure wins is in serious jeopardy.

Sheilds, who starts Saturday night against Miami Marlins left-hander Adam Conley, is 5-14 with a 5.43 ERA this season.

Perhaps Shields, who turns 35 in December, has gotten old all of a sudden, and his days as an ace are over. Perhaps that is the answer, but it's still a bit odd because Shields has been so consistent for so long ... only to unravel this year.

Shields, who started the season with the San Diego Padres, was acquired by the White Sox on June 4. That's when things went from bad to worse -- in 12 starts with the White Sox, he has a 6.68 ERA.

Things have been really bad for Shields in his two previous starts as he has allowed 14 runs on 15 hits in a combined total of 6 1/3 innings. He got just four outs in his most recent start, against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing eight runs.

"I was pretty much bad all-around," Shields told the media after his most recent loss. "I wasn't in my spots, and they were capitalizing."

So what happened to Shields?

The short answer is that Shields is giving up too many walks and too many homers.

Shields has always been a fly-ball pitcher. For example, he gave up the most homers in the league, 34, in 2010, but still managed to win 13 games that year for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Last year, he again led the league by allowing 33 homers, this time for the Padres. But again, he won 13 games.

In fact, entering this season, Shields had an impressive 127-97 career record.

But Shields, who prides himself on a deluxe changeup that he can throw on any count and a fastball that ranges between 89 and 94 mph with movement, has allowed an alarming 2.2 homers per nine innings since his trade to Chicago. His career average is 1.1.

Shields' control has also been an issue. His walks have gone from a career mark of 2.4 per nine innings to 4.2 this season.

Whatever it is that is ailing Shields, the White Sox hope he can be fixed because he is under contract through the end of the 2018 season on a four-year, $75 million deal.

The Marlins, meanwhile, don't have nearly as much invested in Conley, a rookie who is 8.6 with a 3.70 ERA. Conley was Miami's second-best starting pitcher in the first half of the season, trailing only All-Star Jose Fernandez.

But Conley is averaging just 5 1/3 innings per start in the second half of this season and has eclipsed the 100-pitch mark just once. His 4.00 ERA and 5.6 walks per nine innings are also signs of decline from his first-half numbers.

His ERA was 3.65 in the first half of the season when he won six games.

The Marlins, who dropped to 60-55 after Friday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox (55-60), are fortunate to be a half-game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the battle for the second and final NL wild-card playoff berth.

At least, that is the view of Marlins manager Don Mattingly.

"Somebody is going to get hot," Mattingly said of the teams that are chasing that wild-card spot. "Somebody is going to win 10 of 12 or 11 of 14 and put you in harm's way. So we are going to have to get going."

It may happen in time for Saturday's game or it could happen later or not at all, but the Marlins are reportedly considering signing Alex Rodriguez, who is due to be released by the New York Yankees after playing his final game for the club Friday.

The Marlins would use Rodriguez at first base as a replacement for injured Justin Bour, who won't return until September at the earliest, according to Miami manager Don Mattingly.

Rodriguez, 41, hasn't played in the field much, and he may not have much left. But he would spark interest in the team at the very least, and he may be able to supply some power.

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