First things first: Red Sox pound O’s

BOSTON — The series opener between the Red Sox and the Orioles was decided merely 11 pitches into the first inning on Monday night at Fenway Park. The Sox rallied early and never looked back against O’s starter and former teammate Wade Miley during a 12-2 victory in which it pounded out 16 hits.

With the Blue Jays beating the Rays, 3-2, in Toronto on Monday, the Red Sox held onto their two-game lead in the American League East. The Orioles meanwhile fell to second place in the AL Wild Card standings and are three games back of Boston in the division.

“I know we’re a really good team,” said Mookie Betts, who caught the O’s napping and scampered home with a run during a five-run first inning. “I know it’s going to take all aspects — pitching, hitting and baserunning. I think we’ve been doing all of it pretty well throughout the whole year. So I don’t know if we’re peaking, I just know we’re playing well and we’re just going to continue doing what we can.”

Boston jumped on Miley for five runs in the first, with 10 of the 12 batters he faced reaching base. The Red Sox’s offensive powerhouse featured moonshot homers from Hanley Ramirez and Chris Young before David Ortiz joined the party with career homer No. 536, tying Mickey Mantle for 17th place.

Boston ace David Price tossed eight innings while allowing just two hits, both being solo shots that came off the bats of Chris Davis and Manny Machado. Price notched nine strikeouts, and it was the first time in his career that he has won seven straight games in seven straight starts.

“A guy like David is pitching as well as anybody in baseball right now. That’s why he can command those types of commitments that they made to him,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Price. “Tonight’s a good example of how important those guys are. He’s become so much of a pitcher and now his stuff is up to …

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