BOSTONThe last time Rich Hill was on the Fenway Park mound, he walked off the field clutching his left elbow, knowing something was seriously wrong.
That was June 1. Exactly 11 months ago. He had Tommy John surgery on June 9.
Hill made his first appearance since then on Sunday, pitching two-third of an inning against the White Sox in Chicago. He gave up a run on a hit and two walks with a strikeout in that outing.
It was the first run he had allowed since joining the Sox before the 2010 season. It snapped a team-record 15-game scoreless streak (spanning 12 innings) to start a career with the Sox.
Returning to the Fenway mound Tuesday against the As, Hill showed that he is almost fully restored to the pitcher he was before the injury.
Entering in the seventh with the As leading by four runs, Hill went 1 23 scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three strikeouts.
With one out and Josh Reddick on second in the seventh, Hill struck out As phenom Yoenis Cespedes, swinging at a curveball. He ended the inning by freezing Jonny Gomes with a 94-mph fastball for strike three.
Boston Red Sox
In the eighth, after getting Kurt Suzuki to fly out to Marlon Byrd in center for the first out, Hill struck out lefty Kila Kaaihue with a 92-mph fastball.
Hills night ended there. He had thrown 23 pitches, 17 strikes, in chilly temps (46 degrees, with a 13 mph wind off the ocean at first pitch).
Outstanding, manager Bobby Valentine said of Hills performance.Good breaking ball, good fastball.
Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who was behind the plate that afternoon last June when Hills season ended, was pleased with what he saw Tuesday.
He looked great, Saltalamacchia said. He kind of went back to his old style of pitching. He wanted to get dropped down a bit more in his delivery. His fastball was just flying out from the sidearm angle, which was good and his curveball has obviously always been good. But he got back to throwing strikes and going after guys.