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Kerry Carpenter started the party at Comerica Park in the Detroit Tigers' home opener Friday against the Chicago White Sox.
In the second at-bat of the first inning, Carpenter got out in front of an in-breaking sweeper from White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon and shot it down Comerica Park's right-field line. The ball landed at the base of the right field foul pole and was ruled foul.
The umpires met and overturned the ruling, giving Carpenter his first home run of the season on the 345-foot shot.
Carpenter’s power surge capped a strong offensive day top-to-bottom from the Tigers (3-4) in a 7-4 win in the home opener.
THE FANS: Tigers Opening Day 2025: Fans flock to downtown Detroit for game day festivities
In the fourth, Carpenter sent another slider over the fence, this time from left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert. Eisert came in specifically to face the lefty slugger — Carpenter hit .107 with one home run and a .408 OPS against lefties in 2024 — but Carpenter watched the pitch deep and sent it the other way into the home bullpen in straightaway left.
It is the third career multi-home run game for Carpenter as a Tiger, all at Comerica Park. He is the first Tiger with two home runs in the home opener since Prince Fielder in 2013.
Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty cruised behind the early run support to throw 5⅔ innings with one earned run on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in his return to Comerica Park.
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Flaherty gave up his lone run in the second inning after Chicago’s Brooks Baldwin slapped a double past Carpenter to drive in a run. Trey Sweeney had a chance to throw out the runner at home, but the relay throw came in wide.
The Tigers retook a 3-1 lead in the third inning. Spencer Torkelson (hit by pitch) and Colt Keith (walk) reached base, setting up an RBI single from Zach McKinstry and an RBI fielder’s choice from Dillon Dingler.
Carpenter’s second home run and a Torkelson RBI single pushed the lead out to four, and Sweeney followed it up with an RBI triple in the fifth inning. Sweeney’s triple traveled 411 feet to the right centerfield gap, which would have been a home run in 22 of the 30 MLB ballparks.
Riley Greene added another insurance run with a 417-foot solo shot, his third of the season, to right field. Greene’s home run left the bat at 114.3 mph, the third-hardest-hit home run across MLB this season.
Flaherty made his first start at Comerica Park since July 16.
The right-hander re-joined the Tigers in free agency after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers midseason last year. He only allowed five baserunners across nearly six innings of work in his first start back.
Flaherty threw 95 pitches, 59 for strikes. He threw 45 fastballs, which averaged 92 mph, 28 sliders, 18 knuckle curveballs and four changeups. He induced 11 swings and misses, including four swinging strikeouts.
Left-hander Tyler Holton replaced him for the final out of the sixth inning and produced a quick 1-2-3 seventh inning. Kenta Maeda worked around two baserunners in a scoreless eighth. Maeda gave up three runs on three hits before Will Vest picked up the final three outs.
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It was a strong day for nearly the entire lineup. Six of the nine Tigers’ starters in the lineup recorded a hit, including multi-hit days for Carpenter, Greene and McKinstry, and six players drove in a run.
The only Tigers starters to come up empty were designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy (0-for-4, three strikeouts), catcher Dillon Dingler (0-for-3) and Javier Báez (0-for-4). However, Malloy still reached with a walk and Dingler drove in a run and reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Greene went 3-for-5 for his 10th career game with at least three base hits. Torkelson reached base three times with a single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. McKinstry reached three times on two singles and a walk. The Tigers finished with 10 hits, five walks and three home runs.
Jared Ramsey covers sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers ride power past Chicago White Sox, 7-4, in home opener
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In the second at-bat of the first inning, Carpenter got out in front of an in-breaking sweeper from White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon and shot it down Comerica Park's right-field line. The ball landed at the base of the right field foul pole and was ruled foul.
The umpires met and overturned the ruling, giving Carpenter his first home run of the season on the 345-foot shot.
Carpenter’s power surge capped a strong offensive day top-to-bottom from the Tigers (3-4) in a 7-4 win in the home opener.
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THE FANS: Tigers Opening Day 2025: Fans flock to downtown Detroit for game day festivities
In the fourth, Carpenter sent another slider over the fence, this time from left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert. Eisert came in specifically to face the lefty slugger — Carpenter hit .107 with one home run and a .408 OPS against lefties in 2024 — but Carpenter watched the pitch deep and sent it the other way into the home bullpen in straightaway left.
It is the third career multi-home run game for Carpenter as a Tiger, all at Comerica Park. He is the first Tiger with two home runs in the home opener since Prince Fielder in 2013.
Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty cruised behind the early run support to throw 5⅔ innings with one earned run on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in his return to Comerica Park.
[ NEW TIGERS NEWSLETTER! Sign up for The Purr-fect Game, a weekly dose of Tigers news, numbers, analysis for Freep subscribers. ]
Flaherty gave up his lone run in the second inning after Chicago’s Brooks Baldwin slapped a double past Carpenter to drive in a run. Trey Sweeney had a chance to throw out the runner at home, but the relay throw came in wide.
The Tigers retook a 3-1 lead in the third inning. Spencer Torkelson (hit by pitch) and Colt Keith (walk) reached base, setting up an RBI single from Zach McKinstry and an RBI fielder’s choice from Dillon Dingler.
Carpenter’s second home run and a Torkelson RBI single pushed the lead out to four, and Sweeney followed it up with an RBI triple in the fifth inning. Sweeney’s triple traveled 411 feet to the right centerfield gap, which would have been a home run in 22 of the 30 MLB ballparks.
Riley Greene added another insurance run with a 417-foot solo shot, his third of the season, to right field. Greene’s home run left the bat at 114.3 mph, the third-hardest-hit home run across MLB this season.
Flaherty's return
Flaherty made his first start at Comerica Park since July 16.
The right-hander re-joined the Tigers in free agency after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers midseason last year. He only allowed five baserunners across nearly six innings of work in his first start back.
Flaherty threw 95 pitches, 59 for strikes. He threw 45 fastballs, which averaged 92 mph, 28 sliders, 18 knuckle curveballs and four changeups. He induced 11 swings and misses, including four swinging strikeouts.
Left-hander Tyler Holton replaced him for the final out of the sixth inning and produced a quick 1-2-3 seventh inning. Kenta Maeda worked around two baserunners in a scoreless eighth. Maeda gave up three runs on three hits before Will Vest picked up the final three outs.
Buy our book: The Epic History of the Tigers
Everyone hits
It was a strong day for nearly the entire lineup. Six of the nine Tigers’ starters in the lineup recorded a hit, including multi-hit days for Carpenter, Greene and McKinstry, and six players drove in a run.
The only Tigers starters to come up empty were designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy (0-for-4, three strikeouts), catcher Dillon Dingler (0-for-3) and Javier Báez (0-for-4). However, Malloy still reached with a walk and Dingler drove in a run and reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Greene went 3-for-5 for his 10th career game with at least three base hits. Torkelson reached base three times with a single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. McKinstry reached three times on two singles and a walk. The Tigers finished with 10 hits, five walks and three home runs.
Jared Ramsey covers sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers ride power past Chicago White Sox, 7-4, in home opener
Continue reading...
