Eddie Bonine Named The Tigers' Fifth Starter As Week Throws Them a Curve

Last Monday, the Tigers enjoyed a well-deserved Labor Day like many of us: They enjoyed a day off. They had just swept the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays for their sixth consecutive victory. The bullpen had performed terrific, while the Tigers batters found timely hitting and pushed the runners home whenever they were in scoring position. Detroit led the AL Central Division by seven games, and the big question for the manager was how to squeeze six starting pitchers into five rotation spots. Where's the do-over button when you need it? Since that time, the Tigers lost five in a row, including a sweep at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Royals. Starting pitcher Nate Robertson left a game with a groin injury. Fellow starting pitcher Armando Galarraga pitched woefully after coming back from resting his elbow for two weeks. The bullpen seems to have collapsed in a heap. And yet, neither the Chicago White Sox nor the Minnesota Twins really took advantage of Detro...