TORONTO (AP) – Frank Thomas doubled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, Shaun Marcum struck out eight and the Toronto Blue Jays won their home opener, beating the Boston Red Sox 6-3 on Friday night.

Toronto improved to 24-8 in home openers before a sellout crowd of 50,171.

Marcum (1-0) allowed three runs and three hits and walked just one over seven innings. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four career starts against Boston.

Left-hander Brian Tallet worked the eighth and right-hander Jeremy Accardo finished it in the ninth for his second save in as many opportunities.

Matt Stairs opened the scoring in the sixth when he hit his first homer of the year, a solo shot into the right field bullpen off Boston starter Tim Wakefield.

The blast snapped a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings by Red Sox pitchers.

Alex Rios followed with a walk, Vernon Wells struck out and Thomas walked before Lyle Overbay blooped a single into shallow left. The ball bounced over the head of Manny Ramirez and was grabbed by Jacob Ellsbury, whose throw home was too high to get the sliding Rios.

Aaron Hill followed with a drive to deep center that Ellsbury tracked down but dropped as he collided with the outfield wall. Thomas came home as Hill was credited with an RBI-single.

J.D. Drew tied it at 3-3 in the seventh with a two-out, three-run homer to right, his first, scoring David Ortiz and Mike Lowell.

David Aardsma (0-1) replaced Wakefield to begin the seventh but was pulled after walking David Eckstein. His replacement, left-hander Javier Lopez, got the hook after giving up a single to pinch-hitter Shannon Stewart. Manny Delcarmen came on and got Rios and Wells to fly out before Thomas put the Jays in front with a two-run double up the alley in left-center.

Eckstein capped the scoring with a two-out RBI-single in the eighth, scoring Hill.

Wakefield gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.

Notes: Toronto announced contract extensions for Rios and Hill before the game. Rios finalized a long-anticipated seven-year contract that guarantees him $69,835,000 and Hill agreed to a $12 million, four-year deal. … Former Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar threw out the first pitch. Alomar and former team president Paul Beeston were honored with induction into the Blue Jays’ Level of Excellence.

AP-ES-04-04-08 2203EDT