NEW YORK — Rich Hill was a revelation for the Boston Red Sox after making the transition from relieving to starting with the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League.
He won his first three starts with the Red Sox, and on Thursday, he was trying to keep Boston’s aspirations of finishing an otherwise disappointing year with a winning record.
It did not happen for Hill, though his final line of two runs and four hits in six innings was more than encouraging enough. He just ran into an opponent, the New York Yankees, that seemed determined to clinch a postseason berth after losing each of the first three games of the series.
Hill took the loss Thursday as Boston fell 4-1 at Yankee Stadium. Amazingly, it was his worst outing since returning to the majors earlier this month.
“He did a great job,” Boston interim manager Torey Lovullo said. “Gave us six innings, two runs, he just continued where he left off last start. He had a little trouble getting into a rhythm. The weather may have been an issue for him, but he definitely picked some things up after the third inning. He just got into a real nice rhythm and made it look very easy.”
Hill finished his four starts allowing five earned runs in 29 innings (1.55 ERA) and while striking out 36 and walking five. He pitched in Boston’s first shutout of the season last week against the Baltimore Orioles and was the first Boston pitcher to record at least 10 strikeouts in each of his first three starts with the team.
There weren’t many regrettable pitches during his 102-pitch outing Thursday. Hill’s only lament was the full-count fastball that Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran hit into the wind and over the right field fence for a leadoff home run in the second inning.
“The wind played a pretty good role on a few things,” Hill said. “I thought that was a fly ball to right, and it ended up going out.”
Hill, who pitched briefly in New York’s bullpen last season, is one of many being evaluated by Boston’s new management. He thinks the four starts showed he could start in 2016.
“If anybody goes out there and looks at those four games, that speaks for itself,” said Hill, who was a reliever for the Red Sox from 2010-12.
Yankees 4, Red Sox 1
NEW YORK — Right fielder Carlos Beltran, first baseman Greg Bird and second baseman Rob Refsnyder hit solo home runs while left-hander CC Sabathia pitched five innings as the New York Yankees clinched a postseason berth with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
The Yankees (87-72) clinched their first postseason berth since 2012, when they won 95 games and their last AL East title. They did so after failing Wednesday when losses by the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels put them in position to clinch. New York needs one more win or one more loss by the Houston Astros to get the home game in Tuesday’s wild card game.
Beltran hit his 19th home run in the second off Boston left-hander Rich Hill (2-1) and Bird added some breathing room by hitting his 11th with one out in the seventh off Jean Machi. Refsnyder added more insurance in the eighth, driving a first-pitch fastball from Heath Hembree over the left-center field fence.
Third baseman Brendan Ryan added an RBI single, five batters after Beltran sent a full count fastball into the right field seats.
Sabathia (6-10) allowed one run and six hits while pitching through rain and wind at times during his fifth start since returning from right knee inflammation.
He put nine of the 22 batters he faced on base but only allowed an RBI single to center fielder Mookie Betts in the fifth. Sabathia was aided by his defense, which turned double plays on shortstop Xander Bogaerts and right fielder Rusney Castillo in the third and fourth.
Sabathia ended his outing by getting first baseman Travis Shaw on a fly ball to deep center field with the bases loaded.