(My Sportsbook) - James Shields tries to snap an 11-game losing streak for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as they begin a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals this evening at Kauffman Stadium.

After winning his first six decisions of the year in impressive fashion, Shields -- like the Rays -- has hit the skids of late. He has lost his last four starts, with the latest setback coming on Sunday against the Cleveland Indians.

The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in 6 1/3 frames to fall to 6-4 to go along with a 3.76 earned run average.

Shields beat the Royals earlier in the season and is 2-0 in his brief career against them with a sparkling 1.35 ERA in two starts.

Tampa's struggles continued on Thursday, as it was routed by the Boston Red Sox, 15-4, at Fenway Park. Delmon Young went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Devil Rays, who are four losses away from tying the franchise- record 15-game losing skid of 2002.

J.P. Howell (1-3) recorded only two outs in the first inning before being pulled. He gave up six runs on six hits and walked two.

The Devil Rays, who set their franchise-worst slide from April 25-May 10, 2002, are being outscored 70-30 during their skid and have not lost 12 in a row since August 27-September 10, 2004.

Kansas City occupies the cellar in the AL Central but has played better of late. The Royals, though, were denied a sweep in their three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, falling 4-0 at Kauffman Stadium.

Esteban German had two of the Royals' five hits in the loss, just the third defeat for Kansas City in their last 10 tries.

Brian Bannister (5-5) was saddled with the loss after surrendering seven hits and four runs over seven innings. Three of his five losses this year have come to Seattle.

Odalis Perez will try and get the Royals back in the win column tonight and looks to push his unbeaten streak to four games.

Perez has not picked up a decision in either of his last two starts, but has been tremendous in both. Against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Perez surrendered just a run on three hits in seven innings, but did not factor in his team's 3-1 loss.

Perez, who is 4-7 with a 5.56 ERA on the season, has given up just six runs in his last three starts, a span of 18 innings.

The 30-year-old left-hander has faced the Devil Rays three times and is 2-1 with a 7.63 ERA against them.

Tampa has split its four games with the Royals this season, but is 18-9 against Kansas City since the start of the 2004 season.