Tigers 8, Marlins 7 (11 innings)
MIAMI -- Ian Kinsler blasted a three-run homer and had the game-winning single in the top of the 11th inning to lead the Detroit Tigers to an 8-7 Opening Day win over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.
Kinsler went 3-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored. His winning hit -- he pulled a line drive through the left-side hole -- came off reliever Craig Breslow (0-1).
Breslow started the ninth by walking Anthony Gose, who was sacrificed to second by Mike Aviles before scoring on Kinsler's single.
The teams combined to use 13 pitchers.
A sold-out crowd of 36,911 fans at Marlins Park watched with delight as Detroit closer Francisco Rodriguez blew a relatively easy save chance.
Rodriguez entered the game in the ninth with none on and a 7-4 lead but gave up four hits, including three doubles, as Miami scored three runs to send the game to extra innings.
Detroit's Justin Verlander got a tough-luck no-decision, allowing three hits, two walks and three runs in six innings. He struck out five.
Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen made a miserable debut for the Marlins, who signed him this winter to a five-year, $80 million contract, giving him the Opening Day start over Jose Fernandez.
Chen allowed nine hits and five runs in five innings but escaped with a no-decision.
After falling behind 5-0 largely because of Chen, Miami cut its deficit to 5-4 when Dee Gordon tripled in the eighth and scored on Christian Yelich's sacrifice fly.
Detroit stretched its lead to 7-4 in the ninth with consecutive solo homers by Gose and Victor Martinez. Gose's shot reached the upper deck in right. Martinez showed his strength by going the other way, belting his pitch to left center.
But Miami scored three times in the ninth on Adeiny Hechavarria's sacrifice fly and consecutive two-out doubles by Derek Dietrich and Gordon.
The damage would have been worse had Justin Upton not chased down Hechavarria's line drive with a running catch on the warning track in left field.
Chen's first two pitches as a Marlin became Tigers hits -- a single by Kinsler and a double by Justin Upton. The next batter, Miguel Cabrera, hit an RBI groundout, putting Detroit up 1-0 just four pitches into its season.
With two outs and no one on in the second, Detroit rallied for three more runs. Gose hit a hard line-drive single that bounced off Chen's left arm, and Verlander followed by dumping a single to right center.
Kinsler then slugged his homer to left to give Detroit a 4-0 lead.
Detroit made it 5-0 in the fifth when Upton and Cabrera singled before Upton scored on Nick Castellanos' sacrifice fly.
Miami scored three times in the sixth. Gordon doubled and took third when right fielder J.D. Martinez bobbled the ball. Gordon scored on a one-out single by Marcell Ozuna. Giancarlo Stanton capped the rally by golfing a two-run homer to left.
NOTES: Miami's bullpen is thin. RHP Carter Capps, one of the hardest throwers in baseball, is out for the year after Tommy John surgery. Mike Dunn, Miami's top left-handed setup man, is on the disabled list with a forearm strain, although manager Don Mattingly said he could return in about a week. ... Miami's Opening Day batting order had some apparent flaws. CF Marcell Ozuna, a free swinger, is not the prototypical No. 2 hitter who will take pitches and allow leadoff man Dee Gordon to steal bases. The Marlins are also using 3B Martin Prado in the No. 5 hole, and he does not project as ideal to hit behind slugger Giancarolo Stanton. ... The Tigers led the Grapefruit League with 49 homers, their highest total in the spring since 2006. ... Detroit has three players on an Opening Day roster for the first time in their major league careers: RHP Buck Farmer, LHP Kyle Ryan and RHP Drew VerHagen.