Detroit ― The big American flag. The bunting. The player introductions. The flyover. The people, so many people.
Another Opening Day in Detroit ― the 125th ― is in the books, with the Tigers thumping the Chicago White Sox, 7-4, before a sellout crowd on a sunny but chilly spring Friday afternoon at Comerica Park.
Here’s a quick rundown of the day’s highlights and lowlights:
Three up
KERRY CARPENTER: They call him Kerry Bonds, which makes the Tigers slugger a bit uncomfortable ― but also leaves him pretty flattered. He lived up to the nickname in the opener, with two homers, including a rare one off a left-hander (opposite field and into the wind, no less), becoming just the third Tiger to hit multiple home runs on Opening Day at Comerica Park. The others were Prince Fielder (two in 2013) and Dmitri Young (three in 2005, 20 years ago Friday).
RILEY GREENE: You don’t see many uppercut swings quite like Greene’s, but it’s a thing of beauty, especially when he connects, as he did with a homer, double and single in five trips to the plate. The homer in the sixth inning was a mighty wallop, a 417-foot beauty that left his bat at 114.3 miles per hour, the second-hardest-hit ball of his career, and the third-hardest-hit homer in MLB this year. It was the third-hardest-hit ball by a Tiger in the Statcast era (since 2015).
THOSE NEW SEATS: The Tigers officially opened the Home Run Club on Friday, showing off the ballpark’s new luxury-seat section right behind, well, home plate. The seats are uber-expensive (but all-inclusive), so they’re not sold out yet. But, when fans are in them, they look good on TV ― far better than the old tunnel used to look on the broadcasts. Fans tuning in Friday might’ve noticed one famous face in the Home Run Club, MSU coach Tom Izzo, who was with his son, Steven.
Three down
SCOREBOARD OPERATOR: Look, it’s Opening Day for everybody, so a little leeway is OK here. But the scoreboard probably was the biggest complaint among fans on social media Friday. It had issues early, in the first inning, with Tarik Skubal displayed on the board, when Jack Flaherty was starting. The critical data also was very slow to update throughout the game, including the score. At one point, the score was a half-inning behind real time.
KENTA MAEDA: You have to wonder how long the Maeda experiment is going to continue. The veteran right-hander was brutal in 2024, the first year of a two-year, $24-million contract. Then, in spring training, which began so promising but finished with a thud, he lost his spot in the rotation, and is relegated to the bullpen ― but for what role. On Friday, he made a 7-1 lead turn dicey, allowing four hits, three runs and a walk in one inning, while striking out one.
JAVIER BÁEZ:
You don’t often get many boos on Opening Day in Detroit, at least not for the Tigers. But during pregame introductions, while there were plenty of cheers, there were some jeers for Báez, the veteran infielder who in 2025 is starting the back half of a six-year, $140-million contract that’s been a disaster. The boos were much louder when he made a bad throw from third to second in the fourth inning, and struck out in the seventh inning. He went 0-for-4.
Extra innings
➤
Ceremonial first pitch: Actor Keegan-Michael Key, a Detroiter wearing a No. 53 home Tigers jersey, who threw a perfect strike ― from the mound, no less ― to Tigers catcher Jake Rogers.
➤ First pitch: 1:12 p.m.
➤ Game-time temperature: 50 degrees
➤ Time of game: 2 hours, 59 minutes
➤ Attendance: 44,735
➤ Tigers on Opening Day in Detroit: 17-9 at Comerica Park, including 14-3 in their last 17.
@tonypaul1984
