Boston @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 26, 2014 ) Boston 7, Toronto 6

The Boston Red Sox suddenly found their offense and will try to keep swinging hot bats as they go for a three-game sweep at the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. The Red Sox had scored as many as seven runs only once in the first 23 games but set a season high with an 8-1 win in Friday’s series opener and squeezed out a 7-6 triumph Saturday. The Blue Jays have dropped four in a row thanks to a pitching staff that allowed 36 runs in that span.

Getting Will Middlebrooks back in the lineup has proven to be a big help to the bottom of Boston’s order. The slugger was activated from the 15-day disabled list Friday and drove in two runs in his return before clubbing a solo homer in Saturday’s triumph. Middlebrooks’ presence also appears to be having a positive impact on A.J. Pierzynski, who has hit in front of Middlebrooks the past two days and is 4-for-7 with a grand slam and five RBIs in the first two games. Toronto nearly came back from a 7-3 deficit Saturday but left the tying run on second in another disappointing setback.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Rogers SportsNet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Jon Lester (2-3, 2.67 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (1-3, 5.90)

Lester posted four straight quality starts to begin the season but was knocked around for eight runs - three earned - on 11 hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday. The 30-year-old issued a total of four walks in his first four outings and worked into the seventh inning in each of those turns. Lester is 15-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 28 career starts against Toronto and has held slugger Jose Bautista to 11-for-54, though four of those hits were home runs.

Dickey is having a hard time keeping his knuckleball in the zone and has issued 18 walks in 29 total innings. The 39-year-old worked six innings against Baltimore on Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks, but was held out of the decision. Dickey faced Boston twice in his return to the American League last season and went 0-2 with an 8.53 ERA while yielding four home runs in 12 2/3 total innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Middlebrooks has five home runs and five doubles in Toronto since the start of the 2013 season.

2. Toronto LF Melky Cabrera has hit safely in nine straight games but is 2-for-9 with three strikeouts in the series.

3. Boston closer Koji Uehara surrendered a solo home run to Bautista on Saturday - his first run allowed this season.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 2