Napoli, Indians tee off on Shields, rout White Sox

“The most disappointing thing is I’m disappointing my teammates right now and my performance is not giving them a chance to win ballgames”.

Shields was shellacked for a third consecutive start.

Chicago White Sox’s J.B. Shuck reacts after being picked off at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians, Friday, June 17, 2016, in Cleveland.

But none of that was apparent Saturday.

Rookie Tyler Naquin homered, had three hits and drove in a career-high four runs. The Tribe greeted him with a walk, double, single, homer for a 4-0 lead, and unlike his last start, he couldn’t save even the slightest amount of face. Only a nice leaping grab by Tim Anderson spared Shields from a seven-run deficit in the first inning.

The Cleveland Indians had all the runs they needed before James Shields recorded an out.

The trend continued on Saturday night versus the Cleveland Indians, as Shields allowed eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and three walks over just 1 2/3 innings. We’re trying to go out there with a game plan and he can’t find a way right now. “If I feel good enough to play tomorrow, I will”. “Obviously, everybody knows something is up because I don’t remember him going through a stretch like this”. I’ve known the guy for long time. In his two starts with the White Sox, Shields is 0-1 with a 16.71 ERA and 12.28 FIP. he’s allowed four home runs in just seven innings of work.

The Indians sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs in the first inning, which Shields began by walking Carlos Santana on four pitches. He is the first Sox pitcher since Ross Baumgarten in 1980 to go seven straight starts with one or no runs of support.

But options beyond Shields are extremely limited for the White Sox and he’ll stay in the rotation, Ventura said Saturday. “You take it when you can get it”. “It doesn’t happen very often”.

“Velocity-wise it’s not what he was maybe five, six years ago”.

For a third straight start, Ventura had to determine how his bullpen would divvy up the rest of the workload. If you’re going to go three in a row, typically after two, you might want to throw a fastball up there.

First-place Cleveland didn’t ease off the gas, either.

Quintana pitched into the eighth inning, but the White Sox lost 3-2 to the Cleveland Indians on Friday night when Carlos Santana hit a leadoff homer in the ninth. The White Sox scored their only runs in the sixth inning when Adam Eaton singled and rode home on Jose Abreu’s 10th home run of the season.

Jose Abreu hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Indians right-hander Danny Salazar (8-3), while Avisail Garcia extended his hitting streak to eight games.

White Sox: OF Melky Cabrera was replaced by a pinch hitter in the fourth inning.