TORONTO (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier homered and made a sensational leaping catch at the center field wall, Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run blast and the Toronto Blue Jays homered five times in a 9-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
George Springer, Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette all homered for the Blue Jays in their home opener before a sellout crowd of 42,053.
Nick Maton hit a three-run homer for Detroit, which lost its fifth straight. The Tigers (2-8) are off to their worst start since losing eight of 10 to begin the 2008 season.
Detroit right-hander Matt Manning broke a bone in his right foot when he was hit by Kirk’s comebacker in the sixth. Manning covered first base and made the out to end the inning, but was wearing a walking boot after the game.
“It’s a freak accident, can’t do anything about it,” Manning said. “I’m trying to think maybe I’ll ... give it a week off, see how it feels and get back out there. I mean, it’s just a foot.”
Manning (1-1) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.
Kiermaier turned in a highlight-reel play in the first game at a reconfigured Rogers Centre, where the deepest section of the new outfield wall drops down to 8 feet in height. The three-time Gold Glove winner soared over the fence in the second inning for a home run-saving grab on Detroit DH Kerry Carpenter’s deep drive.
“Kiermaier, every time we see him play he makes a difference,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “Today he did it on both sides. It was very unfortunate because that would have changed the whole direction of the game.”
Kiermaier held his glove over his head and yelled in celebration after his big catch.
“It was such a rush, such a thrill,” Kiermaier said. “I was on cloud nine.”
Chapman connected in the fourth, his third. Kiermaier and Springer went deep on consecutive pitches from Manning in the fifth, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead.
“It’s what they do,” Hinch said of Toronto’s attack. “They have a potent lineup.”
Bichette hit a leadoff blast off Mason Englert in the eighth, his fourth. Brandon Belt added an RBI single before Kirk hit his first homer of the season. Kirk had two hits and drove in four runs.
Zach Pop (1-0) worked 1 2/3 innings in relief of Alek Manoah as the Blue Jays won their second straight home opener.
Maton gave the Tigers an early lead when he connected in the second, his first. Detroit loaded the bases after Maton’s blast but didn’t score again.
The Tigers stranded two more runners in the third against Manoah.
Manoah allowed three runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked five and struck out three.
Carpenter drew a leadoff walk in the third when Manoah was called for a pitch clock violation with a 3-0 count.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: RHP Beau Brieske has been cleared to resume throwing later this week after undergoing a procedure to relieve a right ulnar nerve entrapment.
HALL OF FAME FRED
Former Blue Jays slugger and recent Hall of Fame inductee Fred McGriff threw out the first pitch. McGriff hit 493 career homers, including the first blast at SkyDome, as it was called then, in 1989.
LOCAL HERO
Pop is from Brampton, Ontario, about 25 miles northwest of Toronto. He's the first Canadian-born pitcher to win a home opener for the Blue Jays.
NO OPENINGS
Detroit fell to 0-3 in home openers. The Tigers lost at Tampa Bay on opening day, and lost to Boston in their own home opener last week.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (1-1, 0.00 ERA) starts Wednesday against Tigers LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 6.30). Gausman has yet to allow an earned run over 12 innings.
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