A little worried about Edwin

For most of the season, Edwin Jackson was the Tigers most consistent pitcher. His excellent first half resulted in an All-star appearance, and he carried a sub-3.00 ERA all the way through August. Yet, I've noticed he's lost a bit of command. In his past few starts, he's survived mainly on overpowering hitters with his fastball. His curve isn't dropping into the strikezone, and he's regularly falling behind in the count.

Last night, Edwin fell quickly behind rookie Matt LaPorta and then eventually worked the count full. LaPorta hadn't yet swung in the at-bat and waited patiently for Edwin's 3-2 pitch and powered the fastball into deep center for a double. It was strange watching a young kid seemingly out-think Edwin. Since neither his fastball nor curve were finding the strikezone with regularity, the Tribe knew they could sit on a desperation pitch down the middle.

No, the sky is not falling, but it is a bit worrisome that Edwin's ERA in August was 4.45. He's only pitched into the 7th inning once in his last five starts. He's a young pitcher (25) who will no doubt exhibit some inconsistency, but, with a weak hitting team like the Tigers, the workhorse starters like Edwin need to overachieve.

One more for Nate
Nate's 4 decent innings against the Rays earned him another start. With the other lefty starter (Washburn) serving up long-balls with the regularity of the US Mail, most fans are clamoring for the popular Nate to take his spot. Detroit fans, never known for their patience, need to remember that 4 innings does not a season make. Further, Nate hasn't pitched with any consistency since early '07. In fact, his starts have been downright painful. Washburn, prior to coming to Detroit, carried a 2.6 ERA. Let's not throw him to the wolves just yet.

I'd love for Nate to experience a minor comeback, but I realize that's not likely. If he can gain some quality starts between now and October, I'd be thrilled. We'll have to keep our eye on Galarraga too. He's pitching in Toledo on Friday then will rejoin the varsity squad on Saturday.

Bonderman, by the way, is back. He and four others arrived from Toledo yesterday. Among that group is catcher Dusty Ryan. Having a 3rd catcher will open up more opportunities for Alex Avila to pinch hit late in games.