FORT MYERS, Fla. — Toronto right-hander Nate Pearson pitched two no-hit innings in the Blue Jays’ 5-2 loss to a Boston Red Sox split squad in Grapefruit League exhibition baseball action Saturday.
Pearson surrendered his first two walks of spring training, but didn’t give up a hit and struck out three.
Pearson, the Blue Jays’ top prospect, has not given up a hit and has nine strikeouts over five innings of exhibition baseball. He struck out the side in his one-inning pre-season debut against the New York Yankees on Feb. 25. He followed with three strikeouts over two innings of relief March 1 against Pittsburgh.
The Red Sox got to the Jays early, as starter Trent Thornton gave up two earned runs — RBI doubles to J.D. Martinez and Bobby Dalbec — on five hits over 2 2/3 innings.
Boston went up 4-1 when the Red Sox scored two off Brian Moran in the bottom of the fourth, as Rafael Devers hit an RBI single and a runner scored when Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play. The Jays had closed the gap to 2-1 on a Travis Shaw homer in the top of the inning.
Ryder Jones hit Boston’s third RBI double of the day in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-1. The Jays got a run back in the top of the eighth when Kevin Vicuna scored on Patrick Kivlehan’s ground out.
Nathan Eovaldi picked up the win for Boston.
Toronto continues pre-season play Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies in Dunedin, Fla.
The Blue Jays open their regular season at home against the Red Sox on March 26.
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