Nate McLouth’s two-run, eighth-inning home run led the Pirates to a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday in the Bucs’ last Spring Training game in Florida.
The Pirates couldn’t do much against Jays starter Brandon Morrow, who pitched four shutout innings, and Toronto held a 1-0 lead after Edwin Encarnacion’s RBI single brought home Kelly Johnson in the fourth.
Michael McKenry singled in the eighth, however, and McLouth brought him home with a jack to left field. Matt Hague added a home run in the ninth, his seventh of the spring.
Pirates relievers Danny Moskos, Tim Alderson, Kris Johnson and Kyle Cofield pitched five scoreless innings. Alderson, who has looked lost in the minors the past two seasons, looked very good in his inning of work, striking out Johnson and Yan Gomes.
The Pirates will travel to Philadelphia to face the Phillies in two exhibition games Monday and Tuesday.
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