Another bad game for Shields, White Sox in 9-0 loss to Oakland

Forget about “Big Game” James Shields.

The White Sox haven't really played in any since acquiring Shields in a June 4 trade from the Padres.

Shields has been relegated to “Good James” or “Bad James,” and the Sox have seen both sides the past three months.

Shields was bad in June, going 1-2 with an 11.07 ERA in 5 starts.

He was “Good James” in July, going 2-3 with a 1.78 ERA in 5 starts, taking some of the heat off the White Sox's front office for trading for him in the process.

But here we are in August, and Shields has shifted back to bad.

In Friday night's 9-0 loss to the Athletics at U.S. Cellular Field, Shields lasted just 4⅔ innings and allowed 7 runs (6 earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks. The right-hander gave up 2-run homers to Khris Davis and Yonder Alonso and a solo shot to Stephen Vogt.

In 4 August starts, Shields is 0-3 with a 17.36 ERA.

The 34-year-old starter doesn't have much to hang his hat on at the moment except his strong July.

“I mean, the feeling is I threw good out there,” Shields said after getting shelled by Oakland. “I'm just not making my pitches.”

What did he do so well in July?

“Pitches when they count, really,” Shields said. “I mean, runners in scoring position, when I was going through that streak I was pretty good. As of late, I'm not getting the job done with runners on base. When you give up homers it's fine, as long as no one's on. That's not what I'm doing right now. I need to get better at that.”

Home runs have really hurt Shields, and he's given up 9 over his last three starts while lasting just 9 total innings.

“It's never good when you see balls flying out of the park,” catcher Dioner Navarro said. “They are going to put the ball in play on him so he knows he has to keep the ball down and try to make them hit the ball on the ground.”

Putting Shields on the bench for a time wouldn't hurt, but he's got a proven track record and big contract so that's not likely to happen.

Besides, it's not like the White Sox have a stable of young pitching prospects ready to make their mark in the major leagues.

“(Shields) is going to figure that out,” manager Robin Ventura said. “I think there's times where a team will hit him around and he has been able to fight his way back. He's had the roughest stretch when he first got here and he seemed to calm those waters and figure it out. He has the ability to do that.”

Rough debut:

Optioned to Class AAA Charlotte on Tuesday after going 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA in 8 relief appearances with the Sox, Carson Fulmer made his first start for the Knights Friday in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Gwinnett.

It did not go well. Fulmer lasted just 1 inning and allowed 6 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks.

In fairness to Fulmer, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, it was his first start since July 6, when he was pitching for AA Birmingham.

If Fulmer can get himself straightened out, and stretched out, he could join the Sox's rotation in September.