"James Shields had been handling the pitching part pretty well heading into the ninth inning Tuesday night. And if he'd only taken a minute to talk with Dwayne Roloson when a half-dozen Lightning players came by the Trop on Saturday, he might not have been in the predicament he suddenly was: the chance for a victory, and a complete game at that, on the brink, the tying run on second and White Sox sluggers Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko looming.

"After being the worst hockey goalie in baseball and having the ball go through my five hole," Shields said, "I definitely needed to battle through those two guys."

Shields completed the job, striking out Dunn on three pitches and Konerko on five — hitting a surprising 95 mph during the at-bat — to seal a 2-1 win and earn his first complete game victory since May 2008.

"I wanted it really bad," Shields said. "I told Joe (Maddon) in spring training, one of my main goals is to get a CG this year. I think last year there were a lot of games I got taken out, and I told him I want the ball in the ninth. That's what I'm all about. I've been a workhorse since Day 1, and that's one of my main goals is to go as deep as I can in games. He showed a lot tonight leaving me in there, and obviously I got the job done."

Actually, Maddon said, there wasn't much of a decision, even with Juan Pierre on second after the infield hit and a bunt. Shields, 29, had thrown only 93 pitches through eight, was staying in his recently compacted delivery and had been in command of his pitches and control of his emotions.

"It was his game," Maddon said. "It was definitely Shieldsy's game. There was no way I was going to take him out of that."

Shields' final line for his sixth complete game overall, and fourth win: One run on four hits, a walk and a hit batter, nine strikeouts and 105 pitches total.

"He was just dead-on with everything he had tonight," catcher Kelly Shoppach said. "When he's that good you can call pretty much whatever and he's able to execute it." "