ERST LESEN! » 3-year-old grinder has never finished in the t

CHICAGO -- James Shields has never been driven by statistical superlatives. So after whats been a rocky season, his mission for the stretch run is simple.My main focus is to finish strong, Shields said Friday.Shields (5-17) is 3-10 since joining the Chicago White Sox and is 0-5 in his last seven outings heading into Saturdays start against the Kansas City Royals. Shields is coming off a tumultuous start Sept. 3 when he allowed five runs in just 2 1/3 innings against Minnesota.And after back pain caused manager Robin Ventura to consider putting Shields on the shelf before declaring him healthy enough to make Saturdays start, Shields is again ready to take his turn.Shields wont put any extra emphasis on the start or try to salvage a season with one start. But Shields acknowledged that he handles adversity differently than he did in the past, which allows him to keep his focus on whats ahead.I think when I was younger I was a little more of a hothead and didnt understand how to deal with adversity, Shields said. I think Ive just dealt with so much adversity in my career, being in the game for as long as I have, I know things are going to be thrown my way. I know what I need to do to deal with it.How the Royals deal with Shields remains a question mark simply because of this seasons unpredictability. Shields was 14-8 with the Royals in 2014 when he helped Kansas City reach the World Series. That familiarity may have come in handy in the past, but manager Ned Yost admitted Shields roller coaster season throws a wrench into how the Royals prepare to face him.Edinson Volquez (10-10) will start for the Royals.Its hard, but thats baseball -- you just dont know, Yost said Friday. You can come out one game and give up 10 runs in two innings and then come out the next game and throw eight innings of shutout baseball. Its hard to tell. We know what type of pitcher James Shields is and what type of competitor he is and that hes going to give you everything he has every time he takes that mound.Shields cant explain why he has again struggled the way he did when he first arrived in Chicago. But he hasnt allowed himself to get wrapped up in the criticism that has come his way, but is more concerned with how he pitches from here on out the rest of the season.Im not getting the job done and Im not doing my job out on the mound, Shields said. As a player, its frustrating -- theres no doubt about it. But I know what Im capable of doing. I know what Ive done in my career. But the fans here in Chicago only have one taste of me and thats what Ive done this year. Hopefully, I finish strong here and next year will be a different story.Vladimir Tarasenko Blues Jersey . 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This was no night to go to sleep. PITTSBURGH -- Fred Couples roared through his first 11 holes in the second round of the Senior Players Championship on Friday, ripping off seven birdies at water-logged Fox Chapel to take the lead. Then the weather managed to do what the defenceless course could not, stopping the Hall of Famer with a sudden downpour that suspended play for the day with most of the field still on the course. The stoppage came just after Couples hit his tee shot on the par-3 third. The sky cleared in about an hour, but with fairways and bunkers resembling ponds and the threat of more storms looming, officials decided to send players home rather than wait out a lengthy delay to squeeze in a few more holes. Couples understood the decision but allowed he was in the middle of something special when play was stopped. "Rounds like this dont happen very often," Couples said. Instead Couples was left to mull the 60-foot birdie putt that awaits when he and the 65 other players whose rounds were interrupted return to the course at 8 a.m. Saturday. "I was hitting the ball well," Couples said. "But you can look at the bright side tomorrow and hope to get it going again." He was 11 under. First-round leader John Huston was two shots back at 9 under after making an eagle from the rough on the par-4 15th hole just before the horn sounded. It was Hustons second eagle in two days on a par 4. He eagled No. 7 on Thursday when he drove the green and made a 25-footer. This one was a bit more unexpected after Huston pushed his tee shot to the right and it sailed into thick rough that bore more than a passing resemblance to soggy cabbage. His sand wedge from 100 yards caught the ball clean and it dropped into the hole on the fly, no roll required. "It was pretty shocking because it flew in the hole and stayed there," Huston said. Couples stressed he wont be getting ahead of himself as he searches for his second win at Senior Players, one of the Champions Tour five majors. He led at the halfway point on the same course last year, shooting a second-round 63 only to sllip on the weekend and finish fourth behind winner Joe Daley.dddddddddddd With the forecast calling for more rain over the weekend, Couples knows the rolling course a few miles north of downtown Pittsburgh wont be able to put up much of a fight. It certainly didnt Friday thanks to a steady stream of showers that have turned what is supposed to be one of the better tests on the tour into target practice. Officials allowed players to lift, clean and place their golf balls and, with the greens welcoming shots of all shapes, low scores were plentiful. Over half the field was even par or better for the day when the thunderstorm arrived. Though the conditions favoured longer hitters like Couples and Huston, the accommodating greens allowed short-hitting Jeff Hart to rise into contention. The 53-year-old shot a season-best 5-under 65 and was the leader in the clubhouse at 7 under. Not bad for a player who was hitting fairway woods and long irons onto some of the lengthier par 4s. He hit a 3-wood to 5 feet on the 475-yard eighth hole and made the putt, then knocked a 4-iron within a foot on the 422-yard 16th. Hart hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. The 53-year-old grinder has never finished in the top 10 in a Champions Tour event but is coming off a solid 15th-place finish at the Encompass Championship last week. He pointed to a change in mindset to the uptick in his play. "Im finally learning to try less and less," he said. "I think thats the key for me. I think were all conditioned to try harder and in all sports youre told to get in there, try harder and certainly golf is no different. But Im just kind of letting it go right now and thats the key." Duffy Waldorf was also 7 under with four holes remaining in his second round. Fred Funk, Mike Goodes and Michael Allen were 6 under, with points leader David Frost and Russ Cochran one shot back at 5 under. Colin Montgomerie, making his Champions Tour debut, moved into a tie for 10th with Corey Pavin and Mark Calcavecchia at 4 under after rolling in birdies on his first five holes. ' ' '