Kenny Rogers (4-4, 4.63) vs. 
Jonathan Sanchez (6-3, 4.26)
Shouldn't the baseball gods be angry at the San Francisco Giants for preventing the Detroit Tigers from winning a game in which Marcus Thames ("The Hammer!") hit a home run? Before last night, Detroit had won every time Thames put one into the seats. Could the baseball gods have been wagging a finger at Thames for showing hubris in hitting more than one home run? Perhaps, but he had another two-homer game earlier this season vs. the Angels, and the Tigers won that one. All I'm saying is that the Giants might have tested the mercy of those who watch over our grand game. (And I ain't talkin' about Bud Selig.)
Despite allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks over five innings in his last outing, Jonathan Sanchez walked out of Colorado with a win in his pocket. Actually, the Giants frequently win when Sanchez pitches, putting together an 11-3 record in his 14 starts this season. Sanchez has given up seven runs in three starts, so he's capable of getting lit up. But in his other 11 appearances, he's allowed more than two runs only twice.
Kenny Rogers has pitched through the seventh inning in his last four starts. Yet he didn't earn a win in either of those appearances, despite giving up just three earned runs over 29 innings. Rogers is coming off his best performance of the season, however, allowing just four hits in eight innings vs. the White Sox, and is giving the Tigers a chance to win every time he steps onto the mound.
The Vernor's banner has been retired, as the streak of winning with effervescence came to an end last night. Maybe it'll come back once the Tigers return home, as Vernor's is more of a Detroit thing. But we probably got everything we could've out of that horse, and maybe should just retire it to stud.