Beckett gave up two hits in three scoreless innings but the Boston Red Sox lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 9- 3 on Thursday. He has allowed three hits and no runs in five innings this spring.
“I threw everything I wanted to throw,” said Beckett, who used mostly changeups and one curveball in his first outing. “It’s getting there. It’s a work in progress.”
Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia pitched two hitless innings in his first spring start, striking out four.
Garcia did not allow a ball out of infield and started the game by striking out Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia.
Beckett faced the Cardinals ‘A’ lineup, with the exception of Carlos Beltran, who was out with the flu. He allowed a long double by Matt Holliday and a single to Rafael Furcal.
Matt Adams and Shane Robinson each drove in three runs for the Cardinals.
Jose Iglesias, who is trying to win the shortstop job for Boston, drove in all of the Red Sox runs with a bases clearing triple off Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs.
Iglesias made an impressive defensive play in the second inning, going to his right to rob David Freese of a hit.
“ That ball was scalded,” Beckett said. “ He’s pretty sick.”
Notes — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said the Red Sox will be meeting Friday morning to figure out a “nice plan” for Carl Crawford “so that he doesn’t overdo it.” Crawford is being held out this week because of inflammation in his surgically repaired wrist.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
