DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers scored more runs in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox Monday night than they did in the recently-completed three-game series against the Texas Rangers.

Crazy how this game works sometimes.

After being limited to six total runs over the weekend, they sent 14 hitters to the plate and scored nine times in the third inning and didn’t stop in a 14-2 rout of the Red Sox before a fired-up crowd of 20,136 at Comerica Park.

They hit Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck like a pinata and he was left out there for 11 of those 14 third-inning hitters and charged with all of the runs.

Gleyber Torres set off the pyrotechnics in the first inning, smoking a first-pitch sinker 432 feet over the bullpen in left field. His fifth homer, a two-run shot, left his bat at 108.9 mph.

The zany third inning featured two three-run homers – one legit and one of the little-league variety.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Houck unleashed a wild pitch which allowed Kerry Carpenter (who doubled to start the inning) to score.

Riley Greene followed with a bullet single to right which scored two runs. But the ball got through right fielder Wilyer Abreu and rolled all the way to the wall.

Greene kicked it into overdrive and came all the way around to score. It was correctly scored a single and a three-base error, but it sent the crowd into a frenzy.

They barely had a chance to settle back into their seats when Trey Sweeney drove a three-run homer over the wall in right-center. It was his fourth homer of the season.

There was still only one out and only then did lefty Sean Newcomb begin warming up in the Boston bullpen.

Before leaving, Houck failed to cover first base on a ground-ball by Javier Baez (single), walked Carpenter and gave up a single to Torres.

Justyn-Henry Malloy knocked in the ninth run with a pinch-hit single.

Baez and Sweeney, eighth and ninth in the batting order, each finished with three hits and combined for five RBI. The Tigers finished with 16 hits. The 14 runs are a season-high.

They hadn’t amassed 11 runs in the first three innings since 2008.

It ended up being a stress-free start for rookie Jackson Jobe. But it was clear even before the offensive onslaught that he brought his good stuff.

From the first inning on he was using all his pitches, mixing changeups, sliders and curveballs off 96-98 mph four-seam and two-seam fastballs.

Much of his trouble was self-inflicted, with five walks. It was still 2-0 in the top of the third when he walked Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman to load the bases with one out.

He caught a break when the runner at third, Jarren Duran, didn’t tag on a line drive to right field by Kristian Campbell. Jobe got out of the inning unscathed after Abreu grounded out to Torres at second.

He gave up a solo homer to Abreu in the sixth and left to a rousing ovation after going 5 2/3 innings and allowing just three hits with five strikeouts.

The one blemish that will gnaw at him is the five walks. He walked Devers and Bregman twice back-to-back in the third and fifth.

Nevertheless, the Tigers (27-15) are 7-0 in his starts. He’s gotten more run support (6.58 runs per start before Monday) than any starter in baseball.

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