Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 1: Will Middlebrooks returned to the lineup with two RBIs and Jake Peavy worked seven strong innings as visiting Boston took the series opener from Toronto.

David Ortiz homered, Dustin Pedroia drove in two runs and Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled twice, tripled, scored twice and drove in a run as the Red Sox set a season high in runs scored. Mike Napoli and A.J. Pierzynski each added an RBI and combined to score three times in support of Peavy (1-0), who struck out seven while allowing one run and five hits.

Mark Buehrle (4-1) surrendered a total of two runs in his four previous starts but was lit up for seven runs - six earned - on 12 hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. Juan Francisco belted a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who have dropped three straight.

Pierzynski started things with a sacrifice fly in the second and Middlebrooks, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day, followed with an RBI single before Bradley doubled and Pedroia sent a two-run single to left to cap the four-run frame. Ortiz came up with one out in the third and sent his fifth home run out to right off a 1-1 fastball.

Middlebrooks doubled in Pierzynski, and Bradley came in when Neil Wagner walked Napoli with the bases loaded in the sixth. Francisco’s homer in the seventh provided the lone blemish on Peavy’s line and Bradley capped his big night by doubling in Pierzynski in the ninth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Boston’s previous season high was seven runs in a 10-7 loss to Texas on April 7. … The Red Sox optioned INF Brock Holt to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room for Middlebrooks. … Toronto LF Melky Cabrera went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to eight games.