Framber Valdez hit rock bottom in an ugly outing against the Red Sox, and honestly, it's hard to look away. As a sports editor, I know my job is to cover the full picture, but tonight, Valdez's struggles are the story that demands attention. The team didn't show up ready to play, and it showed. They weren't facing elite pitching, yet aside from a brief first-inning rally, there was never a real threat to score. Valdez was undeniably bad, but three of those runs were unearned after Zach McKinstry couldn't handle a routine ground ball at third base. This is a team-wide issue, but Valdez has become the poster child for it.

I'm writing this right after the final out, and I'm genuinely curious how manager A.J. Hinch will address the media. Hinch has always stuck his neck out for Valdez, believing in him and insisting he's in a great environment to succeed. The results, however, have been disastrous. Valdez has completely lost his command, and his curveball is landing nowhere but the middle of the plate. Now, he's created a storyline that's impossible to ignore. To Hinch's credit, he usually extinguishes fires quickly—remember when Tony LaRussa tried to stir up drama late in the season a few years back? Hinch shut that down fast. But this is different. These are repeated struggles, and while they'd be a footnote if the team were winning, they can't be brushed aside when you're losing.

I don't have much else to say. That game was tough to watch. I know there are 162 games in a season, but this feels like a checkpoint. At some point, you have to rally, and right now, the vibes are at an all-time low. Detroit will look to avoid a sweep tomorrow, with Jack Flaherty on the mound against Sonny Gray. Here's hoping for a turnaround.