FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Paul Maholm turned in the Pirates' best start of the spring and Delwyn Young homered in a 3-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox Saturday at City of Palms Park.

Maholm pitched three scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out three. His control breakdown was far from exemplary -- 47 pitches, 24 strikes -- but his sinker and slider were sharp throughout.

His spring ERA is 3.00.

Young broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with a towering home run inside the right foul pole and out of the stadium, just above the four-row set of bleachers.

Boston scored three times in the seventh off long-relief candidate Chris Jakubauskas.

Steve Pearce's RBI double in the eighth pulled the Pirates back within 3-2, but that was it.

The Pirates, 3-7-1 in Grapefruit League play, are back in Bradenton tomorrow to face the New York Yankees. Charlie Morton will pitch against CC Sabathia.

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