Toronto ? The slumping Boston Red Sox are looking up at the New York Yankees now.

Eric Hinske homered as part of a six-run first inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with an 8-1 victory Thursday night.

The Red Sox have lost seven of 10 and dropped one-half game behind the Yankees, who beat Detroit on Thursday, in the AL East standings. Boston, which opens a three-game set tonight at Yankee Stadium, trails New York in the division for the first time since April 13.

“It’s definitely not good,” Johnny Damon said. “We just can’t push the panic button.”

Damon called the World Series champions “a really bad team” after their previous loss and said Thursday’s game against Toronto was a must win.

The Red Sox are in fourth place. They also trail Toronto by a half game.

“I don’t fault effort. We just got beat,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “They were better than us in all the areas.”

Russ Adams had a career-high four RBIs for the Blue Jays, who swept the Red Sox in a three-game series for the first time since May 30-June 1, 2003. Toronto is 6-2 versus Boston this season.

“To win three in that series is big for us,” Adams said.

The Blue Jays sent 10 batters to the plate in the first against Boston starter Wade Miller (1-1). Reed Johnson led off with a triple before Orlando Hudson hit a sacrifice fly. Hinske later hit a towering two-run homer.

Miller then loaded the bases. Vernon Wells walked, Gregg Zaun singled and Aaron Hill walked before Adams hit a three-run double to left-center, giving Toronto a 6-0 lead.

Shea Hillenbrand added an RBI single in the second.

Yankees 4, Tigers 3

New York – Alex Rodriguez hit his major-league-leading 17th home run to help New York rally. The Yankees won their fourth straight and 15th in 17 games, and moved one-half game ahead of Boston, which lost in Toronto, for second place in the AL East. It’s the first time since April 10 New York was higher than third in the division.

The Yankees haven’t led the Red Sox in the standings since April 13. The rivals open a three-game series tonight.

Orioles 5, Mariners 2

Baltimore – Melvin Mora, Rafael Palmeiro and Miguel Tejada homered to back a strong pitching performance by Daniel Cabrera, and Baltimore completed a three-game sweep of Seattle.

Mora had three hits for the Orioles, whose eighth win in 11 games moved them a season-high 14 games over .500 (30-16). Baltimore has won eight in a row at Camden Yards against the Mariners.

Twins 5, Indians 4, 11 innings

Cleveland – Shannon Stewart homered with two outs in the 11th inning off David Riske to give Minnesota a victory over Cleveland and a split of their four-game series.

Stewart ripped a 2-2 pitch from Riske (1-2) over the wall in straightaway center field and into the empty picnic pavilion as the Twins won the third straight extra-inning game between the AL Central rivals.

Of the 10 games between Minnesota and Cleveland this season, six have been decided by one run.

Devil Rays 2, Athletics 1

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Hideo Nomo took a shutout into the eighth inning, and Carl Crawford snapped a scoreless tie with a sixth-inning single to help Tampa Bay beat Oakland. Nomo struck out seven and walked two before leaving the game after yielding a lead-off homer to Marco Scutaro and a one-single to Jason Kendall in the eighth.