Pearson pitches two more no-hit innings, but Blue Jays fall 5-2 to Red Sox

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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2020.

The Canadian Press