Buchholz pitches into 6th inning, Sox lose 5-3

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Clay Buchholz pitched four-hit ball into the sixth inning, but the Boston Red Sox lost 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

The Pirates scored four times in the eighth. Pedro Alvarez hit a tiebreaking two-run shot off Anthony Carter for his first home run of the spring.

Buchholz allowed four hits, struck out four and walked one in 5 1-3 innings. Garrett Jones hit his first spring homer leading off the second for Pittsburgh's only run against the right-hander, who went 11-8 in 29 starts last year.

Jeff Locke, competing for a spot in the Pirates' rotation, gave up three runs, two earned, and seven hits in four innings.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia had two hits and drove in a run for the Red Sox.

Cox Media Group