Jahmai Jones — pinch-hitting in his Detroit Tigers debut — crushed a home run on the first pitch he saw in the eighth inning June 6 at Comerica Park.

Good baseball can stretch a summer out. Especially here, where summers are always too short. It’s been a while since the Detroit Tigers have done it.

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.