James Shields of the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds play in opposite leagues and rarely see each other http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/ben-powers-jersey-cheap , yet they currently have much in common.

Now that they¡¯re starting to make something out of what appeared to be a totally lost season, they¡¯d like to keep it going.

The Reds got off to the worst start in baseball at 8-27, one so bad that getting to .500 looked to be as much of a challenge as winning a division title would be for most teams.

But when the Reds (36-48) take on the right-handed Shields and the White Sox on Monday night at Great American Ball Park, in the teams¡¯ first matchup since 2015, they¡¯ll be one of the majors¡¯ hottest clubs. They¡¯ve won 11 of 14 after taking the final two games of a four-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and interim manager Jim Riggleman now has a 33-33 record for a last-place team.

Considering that Riggleman took over a Reds team that was 3-15 under former manager Bryan Price, that¡¯s something of an accomplishment. And the Reds own a 6-1 record in interleague games.

¡°We know we can play with these teams that are in first place in their division,¡± Riggleman said.

They¡¯re winning now in grand fashion, too. Jose Peraza hit the team¡¯s major league-leading ninth grand slam Sunday in an 8-2 win over the Brewers, their second in two games (pitcher Michael Lorenzen hit a pinch-grand slam Saturday) and sixth in 17 games. They¡¯ve already tied a club season record.

¡°We¡¯ve been getting better at-bats ¡­ and we¡¯ve happened to have men on base,¡± Riggleman said.

Cincinnati starter Matt Harvey pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings before being lifted after a rain delay, and the Reds dealt Brewers rookie Freddy Peralta (3-1), who gave up three runs in five innings, his first major league loss. Peralta allowed only one hit in seven shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals in his previous start.

¡°That¡¯s probably the best I¡¯ve felt since 2013 Iman Marshall Jersey ,¡± said Harvey (4-5), who won his third straight start.

Shields (3-9), likewise, is beginning to see a ray of sunshine in what previously was a gloomy season. He¡¯s coming off his best start of the year, pitching seven shutout innings and giving up four hits Wednesday in a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was his 12th quality start of the season, or five more than he had all of last season.

Shields still isn¡¯t the pitcher that won 13 or more games seven times from 2008 to 2015, but it hasn¡¯t helped that he¡¯s pitching for a team that¡¯s off to the second worst start in franchise history. He has allowed a respectable six earned runs in his last four starts, and twice yielded one or no runs while lasting at least seven innings.

At age 36, Shields is making adjustments to compensate for his decreased velocity, yet has pitched at least six innings in 12 of his last 13 starts for a last-place team.

¡°My body¡¯s feeling really good this year, and this is kind of what I¡¯ve done my whole career,¡± Shields told reporters after the game against the Twins. ¡°I strive to go as deep as I possibly can in games and so far it¡¯s been good.

¡°I¡¯m not throwing as hard as I used to. If I were to throw over the top, I¡¯d still throw a little harder than I am right now. (But) at the end of the day, I¡¯m feeling really good with my delivery right now http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/trace-mcsorley-jersey-cheap , my mechanics. It¡¯s been a lot of fun making these adjustments.¡±

Shields goes against Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (5-8), who was 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five June starts. He retired the first 11 batters he faced Wednesday at Atlanta, only to give up four quick runs on a walk and five consecutive singles, although the Reds came back to win 6-5.

Castillo is 0-1 in two starts against American League clubs this season, giving up eight runs in six innings. He has never faced the White Sox.

Shields is 18-18 with a 4.57 ERA in interleague play and 0-2 in two career starts against the Reds, the last of which was in 2015.

The White Sox (29-54) ended a three-game losing streak Sunday by salvaging the final game of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, winning 10-5 as Avisail Garcia went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

The Reds have won five consecutive interleague games but are facing the White Sox at Great American Ball Park for the first time since 2009. The White Sox are 16-4 overall against the Reds and 10-2 in Cincinnati, though that success there predated any of the current players.

CLEVELAND (AP) ¡ª Dan Campbell¡¯s strong stint as an interim coach has the Browns considering him as a permanent one.Cleveland took its coaching search on the road to interview Campbell, the New Orleans tight ends/assistant head coach, who went 5-7 after taking over Miami¡¯s job in 2015.The 42-year-old Campbell met Friday with Browns general manager John Dorsey and other front-office members in Louisiana while the Saints practiced during their bye week in the NFL playoffs.Campbell checks every box in what the Browns are looking for in a coach. He played in the NFL for 10 seasons ¡ª three in Dallas under Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells ¡ª and has worked on Sean Payton¡¯s staff for three seasons in New Orleans.But it was Campbell¡¯s 12-game run as the Dolphins¡® interim coach in 2015 that gained him respect and has teams other than the Browns interested in him.Campbell took over after Joe Philbin was fired after a 1-3 start and kept the Dolphins competitive.He¡¯s the fourth candidate to meet with Dorsey, who is expected to conduct interviews through the weekend.The Browns have previously met with interim coach Gregg Williams, former Indianapolis and Detroit coach Jim Caldwell and Minnesota interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. Like Campbell, Williams was thrust into a difficult situation when Hue Jackson was fired and led Cleveland to five wins in eight games this season.Dorsey intends to interview Browns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, who was partially responsible for rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield flourishing in the season¡¯s second half.One of eight teams with coaching vacancies David Montgomery Jersey , the Browns have reportedly asked for permission to speak with Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, as well as offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni.The Browns have also expressed interest in former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, but to this point an interview has not been scheduled.Per NFL rules, the Browns can¡¯t hire a coach while his team is still alive in the postseason.When he wasn¡¯t re-hired by the Dolphins, Campbell jumped at a chance to work with Payton, who was his position coach for much of his career. He recently said the chance to join Payton¡¯s staff has helped him grow as a coach, and positioned him to take over his own team.¡°To be able to watch and learn from Sean and see how he deals with situations. See how he deals with management of a game, how he deals with personnel, how he deals with scheme,¡± he said. ¡°Everything. Just dealing with people, scheduling ¡ª everything. You talk about a wealth of knowledge now to get from this guy. So, it¡¯s been extremely helpful.¡°I knew I was going to learn from a coach with a proven track record. I knew that was the best way for me to learn ¡ª under a guy who has had success.¡±Campbell played for the Giants, Cowboys and Lions from 1999-2008. He was used primarily as a blocker and finished with 91 catches for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns.