Kevin Kiermaier steals the show in Blue Jays' home opener

TORONTO – Toronto Blue Jays fans might have a new favourite player.

Kevin Kiermaier played the villain in Tampa Bay for many years, diving for heroic catches, swiping bags, and terrorizing Toronto in all the peskiest ways imaginable. He was everything the Rays embodied and had all the tools the Jays envied: hustle, defence, and relentlessness every time he stepped on the diamond.

It seemed like this revamped Rogers Centre playing surface was built for an outfielder of Kiermaier’s ilk. In an offseason renovation, the wall in centre was reduced by a few feet, practically begging someone to make a game-saving catch. And two innings into Tuesday’s 9-3 home opener win over the Detroit Tigers, Kiermaier got his chance.

"When those things happen, I listen to my instincts," Kiermaier said. "I see the ball, and my body, just inside, something tells me what to do."

The grab itself was picturesque: a high, arching fly ball headed to the track with a lone player camped under it. Kiermaier leapt into the air, reeled in the web gem, and bounded back to the turf with a grin as he held the ball up like a trophy.

"It was such a rush, such a thrill. It's one I’ll go back and watch probably 10 times tonight," Kiermaier said. "And the Rogers Centre reaction to it was amazing. I was on cloud nine the whole night. It was so fun."

Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah said Kiermaier was like "Spider-Man" in centre. Manager John Schneider was happy this epic snag helped his club instead of hindered it like in years past.

"He's been great since Day 1," the skipper said of Kiermaier. "It's kind of a quick snapshot into what he can do."

The Tigers wound up plating three runs that inning, but for Kiermaier, the fuse was lit. By the fifth inning, the Jays had cut Detroit’s lead to one run, and momentum was building. The sold-out Rogers Centre crowd could feel something was on the cusp of happening, but fans never suspected Kiermaier would be the one to provide a big blow.

With a quick cut, the Blue Jays centre fielder drilled a laser line drive into the gap. Kiermaier, in full hustle mode as always, was nearly halfway to second when the ball landed in the right-field bullpen, tying the game. One batter later, George Springer ripped a no-doubter to left-centre field, handing the Jays a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

"We’ve got so many different weapons who can beat you in so many ways," Kiermaier said. "And that's the beauty of this team."

The Springer-Kiermaier bookends of the lineup give Toronto one of the punchiest nine-to-one transitions in baseball, but the meat of the order is deadly, too. It helps when Matt Chapman, the hottest hitter on the planet, brings his 1.323 OPS to Toronto and adds to his deadly start with a rocket of a solo homer to spark the Jays offence early.

Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk both went deep in the eighth inning, making it five homers on the evening for Toronto – a wee bit of offensive overkill to compensate for another meek start by Manoah. The Jays’ ace right-hander faltered in his first crack at a home opener, falling behind on crooked command and one misplaced heater that ended up on the new porch in right field.

Nothing was crisp out of Manoah’s hand. The slider lacked bite, while the fastball and changeup didn’t tempt Tigers hitters at all, either. Statcast didn’t add any shine to the start, as Manoah’s spin rates on his breaking ball were way down, indicating a lack of movement and a drop in effectiveness.

"I think [I was] just out there thinking mechanically," Manoah said after walking five batters in 4.1 innings. "In the big leagues, it's not easy. You’ve got to be focused on every pitch, and … mentally kind of wasn't doing that tonight."

Manoah’s offence bailed him out, and that’s become a trend for the Blue Jays so far this year: fall behind early and rally late. Even with a shaky rotation, Toronto’s fearsome enough to clean out a team like Detroit. Once the starters get their legs under them and the Jays hit their stride, this team is ready to do some damage in a tough AL East division.