"Nothing about the Rays this season has been more remarkable than the improvement of James Shields.

The pitcher who earned three consecutive opening-day starts from 2008-10, but lost his edge last season, pitched his third complete game and second shutout Sunday, a three-hitter to lead the Rays to a 4-0 victory against the Marlins.

Shields (5-2, 2.00 ERA) set a career-high with 13 strikeouts and threw a career-high 126 pitches to stop the Rays' three-game losing streak and help them stay within percentage points of the Yankees for first place in the AL East.

The Rays had lost six of eight but now begin a three-game series at Detroit tonight with positive momentum.

"We were in a little skid there losing games, and that's what top-of-the-rotation starts do: They stop skids," catcher Kelly Shoppach said. "If nothing else, your No. 1 and 2's have to stop losing streaks, and he was able to do that."

Although he became the franchise's all-time leader in wins, starts, innings pitched and quality starts last year, Shields posted a career-high 5.18 ERA and allowed an AL-high 117 earned runs and 34 home runs.

The criticism got particularly loud at the end of the season, when he went 0-4 in his final six regular-season starts. But Shields did what he does best during the offseason — work hard — and he came back with a better delivery and honed-in focus.

"He wants to be that guy," manager Joe Maddon said, meaning the pitcher who gets the ball in big-game situations. "I know he was somewhat disappointed this year that he was moved to second in the rotation — not as a slight to David (Price); he understood that — but I think probably in the back of his mind, he wants to work back to the top of the rotation. "