Blue Jays hit five home runs in massive home opener victory over the Tigers

In a night that started with fireworks courtesy of Kevin Kiermaier and his superior defense, the Blue Jays' 2023 home opener turned into a true offensive display by the home team.

In a 9-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers, five different Blue Jays hit homers: Matt Chapman (3), Kiermaier (1), George Springer (2), Bo Bichette (4) and Alejandro Kirk (2) all went yard. The five big flies are an all-time record for the Blue Jays in home openers.

Alek Manoah took the mound in Tuesday evening's game and once again had a tough time getting going. He made it through just 4.1 innings, striking out three, walking five and allowing three earned runs on four hits. His season ERA is sitting at 4.91, a mark that nobody would've expected him to reach once the season was beginning.

Zach Pop, Erik Swanson, Yimi García and Anthony Bass wrapped up the evening. Pop was especially impressive, going 1.2 innings without allowing a baserunner and notching two strikeouts. He was reaching 97mph with some massive movement on his sinker and slider, which is highly encouraging from the man who just barely squeaked onto the Opening Day roster this year.

Brandon Belt also had a nice evening, which was much needed for him. He had started the season on a dreadful note, but went three-for-four with a double and an RBI on the evening. His confidence was undoubtedly faltering after the slow start, but should be renewed after this game.

While there were many positives, Manoah's performance and the still-inconsistent bat of Cavan Biggio were two of the not-so-great notes from the game. Biggio went failed to register a hit in four at-bats, striking out twice along the way. After a poor showing last year, he is off to a .143 start in 2023.

This victory pushes the Blue Jays to 7-4 on the season, one heck of a start for a club eyeing a World Series championship. Beating up on the Tigers may not count to some, but a win is a win, and the Jays will take them however they come.