The Toronto Blue Jays kick off the home portion of their 2023 schedule with a three-game series against the struggling Detroit Tigers.
For Tuesday night's home opener, plenty of fans figure to be entering the Rogers Centre early (gates open at 5 p.m. ET) to check out the new Outfield Districts.
For the players, things also will look different, with the new dimensions and wall in the outfield.
2023 National Hall of Fame inductee and former Blue Jay Fred McGriff will throw the ceremonial first pitch before Alek Manoah does the real thing. Manoah also was Toronto's Opening Day starter in St. Louis.
Here's a look at the series:
Probable Pitchers
Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (1-0, 4.35 ERA) vs. Detroit RHP Matt Manning (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (1-1, 0.00 ERA) vs. Detroit LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 6.30 ERA)
Thursday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Chris Bassitt (1-1, 10.61 ERA) vs. Detroit RHP Spencer Turnbull (0-2, 13.50 ERA)
All games are on Sportsnet and SN NOW.
Latest on the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays capped a season-opening, 10-game road trip with a record of 6-4 after a wild 12-11 win over the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings on Sunday.
After a rough outing by starter Yusei Kikuchi, the Jays erased a 6-0 deficit and grabbed a 10-6 lead -- only to have a three-run edge crumble in the ninth, thanks to a blown save for Jordan Romano.
But Kevin Kiermaier keyed a two-run 10th with a two-run double and Tim Mayza retired Shohei Ohtani to end the Angels' threat in the bottom of the inning, preserving a dramatic win.
Third baseman Matt Chapman (.475/.523/.800) has been one of the hottest hitters in MLB. He pounded a grand slam to help Toronto's comeback on Sunday and was named American League player of the week on Monday.
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.439/.510/.610) also is off to a strong start.
Latest on the Tigers
The Tigers (2-7) are in full rebuild mode under president of baseball operations Scott Harris. The former San Francisco Giants GM replaced the fired Al Avila late last season.
The Tigers come to Toronto on a four-game losing streak -- including a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox last weekend in Detroit.
Things don't get easier for the Tigers, who now play 31 consecutive games against teams with winning records last year.
Starting pitching has been the biggest problem, with Detroit getting a league-low 39 2/3 innings from starters. The bullpen also has been bad, with a 6.18 ERA.
On the positive side, young hitters Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Matt Vierling have shown signs of promise.
Toronto Kickoff
The Blue Jays have won their past two season debuts at Rogers Centre -- the 2021 Toronto opener came midway through the season after the team opened the campaign with home games in Dunedin, Fla., and Buffalo, N.Y., because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, after a poor start by Jose Berrios, the Blue Jays erased a seven-run deficit for a wild 10-8 win over the Texas Rangers.
This marks the first home opener for John Schneider as manager.
The Tigers were the Blue Jays' opponents in the 2019 home opener, winning 2-0 in extra innings.
Marcus Stroman was Toronto's starter and Charlie Montoyo was managing his first game. Catcher Danny Jansen is the only member of the starting lineup from that day still on the team.
The Tigers also provided the opposition for Blue Jays home openers in 1978, 2004 and 2009.
Last Call
It's the final chance for Blue Jays fans to see Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera, who will retire after this season.
The 3,000-hit, 500-homer man is off to a slow start, slashing .190/.261/.286 with no homers and four RBI in 21 at-bats.
Two years ago, Cabrera had a magic moment in Toronto when he belted his 500th homer off then-Blue Jay Steven Matz. He became the 28th member of the 500-homer club.
The Blue Jays will honour Cabrera with a pre-game presentation on Thursday.
Middle Men
The second game of the series features an intriguing pitching matchup.
Kevin Gausman hasn't allowed an earned run in two starts this season after a strong first campaign with the Blue Jays last year, while Rodriguez hasn't yet lived up to the five-year, $77-million deal he signed with the Tigers before the 2022 season after six years with the Red Sox.
The Tigers' Opening Day starter the past two years, Rodriguez has been slow out of the gate this year after pitching for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic. He was 5-5 with a 4.05 ERA last year, a season in which he missed three months because of injuries and personal matters.
2022 Season Series
The Blue Jays went 5-2 against the Tigers, winning three of four in Toronto and two of three in Detroit.
Up Next
The Blue Jays host the unbeaten Tampa Bay Rays (10-0) for three games, starting Friday.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.