Well, you knew it had to happen sometime.  For the first part of the season, Freddy Garcia became a folk hero as the only thing standing between the White Sox and a long losing streak.  There was even talk circulating that Garcia would like to re-up with the Sox next season if they had room for him among their crowded roster of starters.

But in the heat of August, the considerable mileage is beginning to show on the veteran.  In his two of his last four starts, he's been lit up like the Loop at night, lasting less than two innings against Oakland and Minnesota.  Freddy hasn't pitched a full season since his 2006, when he started 33 games for the Sox.  He started only eleven games for the Phillies in 2007, three games for Detroit in 2008 and nine games for the Sox last year.  His total of twenty-one starts this year thus equals his total over the last three seasons.  So, if Freddy is beginning to get tired, it is understandable.

The problem facing Ozzie Guillen and his pitching coach Don Cooper is what to do about it.  Do you put Freddy on the DL to rest his arm for the September stretch drive?  Do you continue to trot him out there thinking he will work his way through it?  Do you manipulate the rotation for him to miss a couple of starts?  Does Kenny Williams find somebody off the waiver wire?

And, most important, if you sit Freddy, who will you replace him with?  Daniel Hudson has been dispatched to the dessert, Carlos Torres walks too many guys and Lucas Harrell was lightning in a bottle.  Is there anyone the Sox have in the system that can come up and start three or four games without getting rocked?  If you can't do better than Freddy, you might as well not replace him. The big problem is that the more Freddy struggles, the more the bullpen is taxed.  Tony Pena took the bullet last night, but even he is mortal.  Where is Luis Vizciano when you need him?

Speaking of players turning back into pumpkins, now that you've seen a little more of Ramon Castro and Brett Lillibridge, are you still convinced they should be starters.  Hopefully, Gordon Beckham will not only be back, but he will continue to hit at the torrid pace he was at before yanking his groin.  The fear is, if he comes back too soon, he'll toast it even worse and be gone for a significant period of time.

My only comment on last night's game is that is was ugly.  Even though the Sox got as close as 5-3, the Twins kept scoring and the Sox couldn't get it going in time.  A couple more games like this and we'll be discussing tee times, not playoffs.