"There have been a lot of ways the Rays have described right-hander James "Complete Game" Shields during his remarkable bounceback season.

"Dominant," Evan Longoria said.

"Lights out," said Sam Fuld.

"Up there with the elite," Casey Kotchman said.

And after Shields delivered another spectacular performance Sunday, tying a club record with his major league-best fifth complete game of the season in a 2-1 sweep-clinching win over the Marlins, manager Joe Maddon said he's deserving of another moniker.

"If that does not put him in the All-Star Game, I don't know what does," Maddon said. "Five complete games before the All-Star break, that doesn't happen every year. It's the way he's done it, too, just been dominating."

Shields (7-4, 2.40 ERA) got some help in picking up his second consecutive complete game, with leftfielder Fuld making two dazzling diving catches in the eighth and Kotchman coming through with another clutch hit, the winning single, as the Rays (39-33) stayed within 41/2 games of the first-place Red Sox before 26,761 at Tropicana Field.

But Shields was the story, allowing one unearned run, striking out 10 and walking none in a 110-pitch outing that was the picture of efficiency. Shields tied Joe Kennedy's club record set in 2002 of five complete games — in just 15 starts — with the Phillies being the only team to boast more this year.

"Over the last couple years, I haven't had any CGs, and this year, I told Joe, I said, 'I'm ready to finish some ballgames,' " Shields said. "It was one of those things where it was one of those pieces of the puzzle that was missing for me. To be able to have this many CGs this early is wonderful.""