TORONTO – Imagine what the Boston Red Sox could’ve done to Blue Jays pitching if they were well rested.

David Ortiz hit a three-run homer, Jason Varitek homered and drove in four runs, and the sleep-deprived Red Sox beat Toronto 16-4 Saturday for their season-high eighth straight win.

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Jason Varitek laughs with Manager Terry Francona following Boston’s 16-4 win over Toronto on Saturday. Varitek had a three-run home run as every Boston starter drove in at least one run. The Associated Press

The offensive outburst came in a day game following a night game Friday. The Red Sox arrived in Toronto early Friday morning after their matchup against the Yankees was delayed nearly 3½ hours Thursday night.

“This team’s tired though, too,” Varitek said. “There’s a point some of those later (at-bats) it’s a grind, we’re still playing catch-up.”

John Lackey (4-5) made up for a terrible first start in Toronto this season. He delivered six strong innings in his second start since going on the disabled list with a strained elbow after giving up nine runs in 62/3 innings against the Blue Jays on May 11.

“I felt good, I felt like it was a step forward, still building some arm strength,” Lackey said. “I thought the guys swung the bats pretty good, made it pretty easy on me.”

The right-hander was charged with four runs on six hits and two walks while having to wait through two innings in which the Red Sox batted around.

“I’ll sit there all day if they want to keep swinging like that. That’s fine,” he said. “That’s not something I’m ever going to complain about, for sure.”

Boston Manager Terry Francona was pleased with Lackey’s performance that included a season-high eight strikeouts.

“He had some depth to his pitches,” Francona said. “You don’t ever hear me sit here and worry about strikeouts, I care about them getting out. But I thought the swings and misses were good.

Dustin Pedroia drove in three runs and had three hits, and Marco Scutaro had four hits while scoring three times.

“When everybody’s hitting, it’s kind of contagious,” said Scutaro.

Every Boston starter drove in at least one run as the Blue Jays allowed their most runs in a game this season.

Things got so bad for Toronto, utility man Mike McCoy pitched the ninth inning. McCoy, who had started at second base in place of Aaron Hill, pitched a perfect inning.

“You just try not to do too much and kind of stay within yourself and throwing softly is more effective against big-league hitters who are used to seeing 90 (mph) and I’m throwing 72, 73, hitters get themselves out usually,” McCoy said. “I threw a couple of sliders just to mix it up and get them out front a little bit. … It’s pretty exciting, except for the loss.”

Varitek ended a horrible afternoon for Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow (2-4) with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth that made it 9-2.

Morrow gave up a career-worst nine earned runs, 10 hits and three walks in just 41/3 innings, the 26-year-old’s shortest outing of the season.

Blue Jays trainers checked on Morrow in the top of the second after he was hit on the back of his right leg by a line drive off the bat of Scutaro.

Reliever Jason Frasor took over with one out in the fifth but fared little better.

He surrendered a hit and a walk before Ortiz hit his 16th homer of the season that stretched Boston’s lead to 12-2.

Boston took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third as five straight Red Sox reached with one out, batting around for the first time.

Back-to-back singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia set up Adrian Gonzalez, who roped a run-scoring double.

The hit gave the first baseman at least one RBI in eight straight games, extending a new career high he set on Friday when Boston won the series opener 5-1.

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