Saturday Thread: Royals at White Sox

Okay, I'll cut to the chase.

Anybody who follows me on Twitter knows that I love James Shields. I personally think that he was the most important piece in turning the Royals from losers into winners. His 448 innings in two seasons in Kansas City were absolutely invaluable, and his poor performance in two playoff games scarring his legacy here infuriates me.

Tonight, for the first time since he left Kansas City following the 2014 postseason, James Shields will take on his old team. A lot has changed since then, as Shields has gone from being a top-of-the-line starter to arguably the worst starting pitcher in baseball. He'll be opposed by Edinson Volquez, so my advice to you is this: bet the over.

Here are the lineups for the Royals, who can probably afford to lose no more than five more games if they hope to (miraculously at this point) reach the playoffs:

9/10 @Royals lineup at CWS
Dyson CF
Merrifield 2B
Hosmer 1B
Morales DH
Perez C
Gordon LF
Orlando RF
Escobar SS
Colon 3B
Volquez P

— MLB Lineups (@mlblineups) September 10, 2016

It kills me to say this, but Shields is bad now. The Royals should score and score often. They absolutely have to have this game, even if it comes at the expense of their old ace.