After eight straight losses it becomes almost comical the ways the Rockies have found to lose a lead, blow a gift or error themselves out of a game.

Tonight’s affair in Detroit seemed to be heading in that very direction, but instead of the Rockies finding ways to lose, it was the Tigers that took the roll of the unlucky ones.

It seemed like the team was on their way to another difficult loss as the bases were loaded in the third inning with nobody out and the team failed to score.  Giambi had a rare lapse of baseball consciousness in not running out a throw to first, that he could have beat, but he instead thought the throw to home to get the force was the third out.  Nevermind the fact that if there were two outs already, the last place anyone would throw would be home with “Giambi the Slow” lumbering up the line.

Then it seemed like the team was working hard to lose again when Giambi had a leadoff single in the eighth and EYj was put in to pinch-run.  Going on first movement didn’t work out, as EYj ran himself into a hotbox, leaving on first move and the wind went out of the teams sails once again.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the 10th.  With the score tied 4-4, and Michael Cuddyer’s single safely tucked away, Tigers pitcher Jose Valverde did his best impression of a little league pitcher fielding EYj’s sacrifice bunt as he lobbed the throw over the head of Prince Fielder to put runners at first and third with no outs.  Valverde then intentionally walked Helton to load the bases, and it seemed like the short term history of the third inning, having bases loaded with no outs and not scoring, would happen again as Pacheco grounded to short and the throw home beat Cuddy by a mile.

And then the Rockies stars aligned.

Regardless of how jaded you are with this team, no matter how loud you’ve screamed for the heads of anyone from Dick Monfort to Justin the Batboy, you had to appreciate being on the other side of an epic meltdown.

With bases loaded and one out the following events took place:

• Rosario hits a 2 run single
• Nelson walks
• Fowler hits a sacrifice fly to left, scoring a run
• Scutaro hits an RBI single
• Cargo hits a 3 run home run
• Cuddyer hits a home run

Eight runs and just like that the team goes up 12-4.

Make no mistake, all is not suddenly right in RockieVille.  There are still glaring issues with everyone from Monfort to, well maybe not Justin but pretty close.   There are still many games left to be played, and at this point that still means many more ways to lose.

But for one night, and one insanely great inning, it was actually fun to watch a Rockies game.  A feeling that hasn’t been felt for a long, long while.

It was nice to see Chris Nelson hit a triple and follow it up with a home run in his next at bat.

It was great to see CarGo go 3-5 with two singles and the three run home run, never mind that he didn’t look that great at the plate.

All in all, it was a nice, emphatic win.  One that many would call cathartic, but that would mean, by definition, that it was a cleansing or a purging of the past.  Sadly, any fan can tell you that it was more a fluke than fate.

But we will take it.