TORONTO — Clay Buchholz gave up two runs on six hits in eight innings and the Boston Red Sox took the first game of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-2, on Friday.

Buchholz (5-2) recorded seven strikeouts, including striking out the side in the sixth inning and only walked two batters.

Blue Jays starter Henderson Alvarez (3-5), a former New Hampshire Fisher Cat, gave up four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings work as the Blue Jays had their three-game winning streak snapped. The Red Sox registered 15 hits on Blue Jays pitching.

David Ortiz homered for the Red Sox in the first but it was a four-run seventh inning that blew the game wide open.

With Boston leading, 3-1, Ryan Sweeney doubled to lead off the inning. Alvarez then struck out Mike Aviles before being replaced by Luis Perez.

Perez retired the first batter he faced but then gave up consecutive hits to Scott Podsednik, Daniel Nava, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz that gave Boston a 7-1 lead.

Ex-Fisher Cat David Cooper got a run back for the Blue Jays with a home run in the bottom of the seventh but Buchholz and Scott Atchison shut the door the rest of the way.

Ortiz opened the scoring with a 10-pitch, lead-off homer in the second inning. Ortiz crushed a pitch from Alvarez deep to left center field for his 13th homer of the season.

The Red Sox doubled their lead the next inning. After Nava doubled to deep right center field with two outs, Gonzalez drove him in with a single to left.

Toronto came back with a run in the home third as Yunel Escobar hit his third homer of the season. Escobar took a 0-1 pitch from Buchholz out to left center field.

Alvarez had a scare to start the fifth when Mike Aviles drove a hard shot off his left shin. Alvarez hobbled for a few strides before angrily throwing his glove down and then fell to the ground himself.

The play was eerily similar to what happened to Brandon Morrow on Wednesday against Baltimore. But unlike Morrow, who had to come out of that game, Alvarez threw a few warm-up pitches to test the leg and was able to continue. He had a little difficulty when moving to cover first base later in the inning.

He worked out of the inning with two ground balls, one resulting in a double play.

Notes: The Blue Jays announced they had promoted Vladimir Guerrero to Class AAA Las Vegas on Friday. ... Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis was given the night off. ... Second baseman Dustin Pedroia remained out of the Boston lineup after coming out of Monday’s game in the fifth inning with a jammed right thumb. ... Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus extended his current hitting streak to eight games with a single in the fourth inning. ... Left-hander Felix Doubront (5-2, 3.86 ERA) will start today for Boston against ex-Fisher Cat Kyle Drabek (4-5, 4.55 ERA).