RED SOX CHASE BOYD WITH 8-RUN FIRST

TORONTO The Boston Red Sox erupted for eight runs in the opening inning and cruised to a 12-6 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night at Rogers Centre.

Blue Jays starter Matt Boyd didn’t record a single out in his second big-league start. He gave up three singles, back-to-back homers, another single, a wild pitch and a walk before manager John Gibbons finally pulled him.

Toronto (42-39) dropped three of four against its American League East rival and finished the sevengame homestand with a 3-4 record. The Blue Jays entered play in a tie for third place in the division standings, one game behind the front-running Baltimore Orioles.

Many fans in the crowd of 29,758 let out a Bronx cheer when reliever Liam Hendriks got No. 9 hitter Ryan Hanigan to pop up for the first out of the game. Boston (37-44) sent 12 men to the plate in the inning. Boyd (0-2) allowed seven earned runs — including a three-run shot by David Ortiz and a solo blast from Hanley Ramirez — over a 28-pitch outing.

It was the first time in franchise history that the Blue Jays had given up seven first-inning runs before recording an out.

It last happened in a major-league game on July 17, 2011, when the Oakland Athletics dumped the Los Angeles Angels 9-1.

Canadian Russell Martin hit a solo shot in the ninth inning and Valencia followed with a homer of his own. It was Martin’s 12th homer of the year and the fifth this season for Valencia. The Red Sox outhit the Blue Jays 1914. Toronto left 14 runners on base to 10 for Boston.