When Detroit left fielder Marcus Thames drilled a 450-foot blast over the center-field fence in San Francisco Tuesday night, he matched the franchise record for consecutive games with a homer by connecting in his fifth straight. According to home-run historian David Vincent, Thames pulled alongside Rudy York (1937), Hank Greenberg (1940), Vic Wertz (1950) and Willie Horton (1969) in the record book.

The franchise mark is at risk Wednesday afternoon after Tuesday’s shot reached a part of the park that only Barry Bonds knows. Thames already has three homers in the first two games of the series.

Thames’ last eight hits have been home runs, dating to June 7, when an eighth-inning homer tied a divisional matchup with Cleveland, which the Tigers went on to win, 8-4. Four of his six longballs during his five-game homer streak have either tied the score or put the Tigers ahead. Two of them came Monday night off Giants ace Tim Lincecum, who is 8-1 and has allowed just five home runs all season.

So, what’s more remarkable, homering in five straight games or connecting for eight bombs in his last eight hits? Chase Utley has homered in five straight games twice this season, and Adam Dunn has done it once. Since 1974, however, only Mark McGwire has powered more consecutive hits for home runs.

Most Consecutive Hits that were Home Runs, Since 1974

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Span
Mark McGwire. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July-Aug 2001
Marcus Thames. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 2008
Albert Belle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept 1995
Mike Schmidt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .April 1976
Rob Deer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept 1991-Apr 1992
Adam Dunn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .May 2003
Hee-Seop Choi. . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 2005

All eight of the right-handed hitter’s blasts have come against right-handed pitching. On Wednesday, Thames faces Giants lefty Barry Zito, against whom he is 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Meanwhile, all eight of the home runs allowed by Zito this season have been coughed up to right-handed batters.