Lester shines in Red Sox loss
Boston’s Jon Lester is working on his changeup. Pittsburgh’s Ian Snell wants to change his fortunes.
Both took another step along those paths Thursday when they started against each other in the Pirates’ 3-2 exhibition win over the Red Sox.
The 6-foot-2, left-handed Lester, who emerged as Boston’s best starter last year, pitched two scoreless innings. The 5-11, right-handed Snell allowed two unearned runs in two innings in his only appearance before leaving to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
“I’m going to be on the same exact schedule that I’ve been on all spring,” Snell said. “If anything, pitching in games that count this early in the season is only going to make me be ready for the season even faster.”
Snell wasn’t drafted by Pittsburgh until the 26th round in 2000. Boston took Lester in the second round in 2002. Both pitched well in their first two seasons when they pitched regularly.
“I’m not trying to have the best changeup in the league,” Lester said. “I’m just trying to get a changeup that’s effective and one that I can throw behind in the count or whenever we need to.”
Working on that pitch also saves wear on his arm that comes with throwing the cutter a lot in spring training.
He was “strong out of the chute. The velocity was really strong in the first inning, especially,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
Lester struck out one and allowed singles to Andy LaRoche in the first inning and Brandon Moss in the second.
Boston took a 2-0 lead on Jeff Bailey’s two-run single after an error by shortstop Brian Bixler in the first. Snell threw 33 pitches in the inning, then struck out the side in the second.
After Lester left the game, six Boston relievers held Pittsburgh to two hits in six innings. Then minor leaguer Richie Lentz had control problems and gave up three runs in the ninth, with the first two scoring on a double by pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez.
“You see what happens in the ninth when you don’t throw strikes,” Francona said.
Lester showed what happens when he does throw strikes. He did it on 19 of his 30 pitches, about a third of them the changeup that he rarely used last year.
Orioles 11, Cardinals 3: Danys Baez allowed three walks and two runs in one inning, but Baltimore bounced back to beat St. Louis.
Baez hadn’t pitched since mid-September 2007. He underwent ligament replacement surgery the following month and missed last season.
A former All-Star closer, Baez began the day by retiring Joe Thurston on a grounder and Joe Mather on a fly ball, but walked the next three batters before Yadier Molina doubled in two runs. Then, on his 34th pitch, Baez got Brian Barton to hit a fly ball.
St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse also got off to a good start before faltering. He retired the side in order in the first, then gave up two-run homers to Justin Christian and Nolan Reimold in the second.