BOSTON — It’s too bad the Red Sox aren’t going anywhere this year because 42-year-old Rich Hill is finally starting to feel it.
Hill worked around an error and two unearned runs to strike out six over six innings as he held the Rays down in a 4-3 win at Fenway Park.
It was the final start of the season for Hill, who has made public comments about wanting to play again next year and even wanting to participate in the World Baseball Classic next spring.
And why not? He can still pitch.
The end of the season has always been Hill’s time to shine, and it’s why the Sox signed him on a $5 million deal.
He struggled over the summer and it came at a bad time as a young rotation really needed to lean heavily on a veteran. But Hill has always been his best late in the year. He has a career 2.95 ERA in September and October, and a career 3.06 ERA in the postseason.
Had the Red Sox qualified, they’d be looking at Hill as a reliable option out of the rotation. Instead, they’ve watched him throw his best starts throughout a meaningless final month.
On a chilly Monday night at Fenway Park, Hill put his high-80s fastball and loopy curveball to good use. He fell behind early when Wander Franco yanked one just fair of the left-field foul pole for a solo shot in the first inning, but Hill bounced back and started rolling.
His fastball was averaging just 89 mph and yet still generated six whiffs on 19 swings. He also induced a key inning-ending double play to end the second inning and kept on rolling until the fourth, when Rafael Devers made a throwing error to give the Rays a baserunner.
The next batter, Manny Margot, hammered one over the Green Monster for a no-doubter, but the two unearned runs were all the Rays would get.
Hill struck out two in the fifth and then punched out three more in the sixth as he was really feeling himself walking off the mound after just 80 pitches, 60 of them strikes.
Hill looked like he would’ve thrown three more innings, but Cora pulled him after six and his season was complete.
Over his final five starts, Hill struck out 30 batters in 26 2/3 innings with a 2.36 ERA.
He finished the year with 109 strikeouts in 124 1/3 innings and a 4.27 ERA. It wasn’t a bad use of $5 million, and would’ve been a lot better if the Sox had something to play for in October.
After getting steamrolled in Toronto, the Red Sox offense finally showed signs of life back home on Monday.
Christian Arroyo yanked a groundball down the third-base line to score two runs in the sixth inning, then Kiké Hernandez smoked a double to center field to score Arroyo and tie things up.
In the seventh, Reese McGuire got the Sox going with a ground-rule double to right field and, after Tommy Pham moved him to third with a groundout, Rafael Devers scored him with a sacrifice fly to left field.
It was just enough for the Sox to get back in the win column.
They play again Tuesday night before ending their season Wednesday afternoon.
