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There is a lot of chatter around the Rays about how every member of their rotation has the talent to be the ace of a staff. But there are certain times, when things are spinning fast and spiraling downward, as they had been, that a starter has to step up on the mound and prove it.

And James Shields showed yet again Monday, stopping a four-game skid and a three-day Boston battering with a stellar performance in a 1-0 win, that he is the most valuable starter the Rays have.

"He was everything we needed him to be," third baseman Evan Longoria said. "Incredible."

"Unbelievable," manager Joe Maddon said. "We absolutely needed something like that (Monday). James did not disappoint."

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