Baseball can be a church, and watching fans pack Comerica Park only to see abandoned hallowed territory? That’s blasphemy ... bordering on heresy.

The stairs lead to a nondescript green door. Almost a mysterious entry point. But like all things with the Tigers these days, there was a specific, targeted purpose. The stairs and the door lead to Detroit’s so-called smart cage, a project completed midway through last season as part of the team’s multiyear overhaul of the home clubhouse.

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DETROIT -- Gleyber Torres led off with a first-pitch homer, the first of four solo shots by the Detroit Tigers in an 11-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Comerica Park. The Tigers (46-25) will play twice more this weekend against the Reds (35-35).

The Tigers were averaging 26,523 fans a game at Comerica Park through their most recent home game Sunday — the highest for the Detroit team since 2016, when it averaged 28,009 fans per home game through early June, the team said. This season's attendance average is up more than 4,000 from the 22,223 at the same point last season.

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“I said goodbye to Tito not too long ago, now I’ve gotta say hello again,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch joked ahead of Friday’s series opener. “I love that guy, I love watching him, he’s great for the game.”