Carpenter Ignites Motor City Mayhem as Tigers Launch Fireworks on Opening Day
Detroit, Michigan
The Motor City was buzzing on Friday afternoon as the Detroit Tigers came out swinging in their home opener at Comerica Park, treating a crowd of 44,735 fans to a high-powered performance.
Kerry Carpenter stole the spotlight, hitting two solo home runs. He became the first Tiger since Prince Fielder in 2013 to achieve this feat on opening day. Carpenter’s fireworks, combined with Riley Greene’s strong performance—he hit a single, double, and a towering home run—set the tone for a thrilling weekend series.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch captured the excitement perfectly. “This day feels like a Michigan holiday,” he said after the game. “It’s bigger than baseball—it’s tradition, pride, and passion all rolled into one.”
The Tigers didn’t waste any time. By the sixth inning, they had already racked up six extra-base hits, leaving the White Sox with little to cheer about in their road opener.
On Saturday, the Tigers will turn to right-hander Reese Olson (0-1, 7.71 ERA) for his second start of the season. Olson had a mixed performance in his debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up four runs over 4 2/3 innings. He faced a tough lineup, including a first-inning homer from Freddie Freeman.
“From one to nine, the Dodgers are tough hitters,” Olson reflected. “You can’t make too many mistakes, or they’ll make you pay.”
Though Olson struggled, Hinch was encouraged by his efforts. “It wasn’t the result we wanted, but Reese showed a lot of good things. He battled and gave us his best.”
On Saturday, Olson will face a less intimidating team—the Chicago White Sox, who had the worst record in 2023. Still, Olson has been solid against Chicago in his career, posting a 2-2 record with a strong 2.16 ERA over four starts.
The White Sox will counter with Davis Martin (0-0, 0.00 ERA), who impressed in his season debut, allowing just two unearned runs over six innings in a 3-2 loss to the Angels. Martin has faced the Tigers four times before and has a solid 2.01 ERA against them.
Friday’s game saw the White Sox struggle offensively, failing to get much going against Tigers starter Jack Flaherty until the ninth inning, when they scored three runs. This late push forced Hinch to call in Will Vest to close the game.
“We couldn’t get anything going offensively off Flaherty, but I was proud of how the team kept battling,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “That kind of finish could help us in the rest of this series.”
Infielder Brooks Baldwin had a standout performance, driving in two of Chicago’s three ninth-inning runs. With five RBIs in the past three games, he’s quickly becoming a key player to watch.
Unfortunately for the White Sox, they’ve now dropped five of their last six games and are still searching for consistency. After finishing up their series in Detroit, they’ll head to Cleveland for more road challenges.
As Saturday’s game approaches, all eyes will be on whether Detroit’s opening day fireworks were just a one-time show or the beginning of a dominant stretch.
