Boston’s J.D. Martinez comes home to score on a double by Christian Arroyo as Pirates catcher Jason Delay fields the throw in the second inning Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. Keith Srakocic/Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Christian Arroyo had three hits and three RBI, Alex Verdugo reached base five times and 42-year-old Rich Hill won for the first time in nearly two months as the Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3 on Wednesday night.
The Red Sox won for the fifth time in six games and got back to .500 at 59-59. Boston is four games behind Toronto in the race for the third and final AL wild-card spot.
Arroyo hit a two-run double and scored on Kike Hernandez’s sacrifice fly in the second inning as Boston went ahead for good, 3-2. Arroyo also singled in a run in a three-run ninth that broke the game open.
Verdugo was 3 for 3 with two walks.
Hill (5-5) allowed two runs on three hits in five innings for his first win since June 26. He struck out four and walked none. The left-hander was making his third start since missing a month because of a sprained left knee.
The last time Hill pitched at PNC Park, he took a no-hitter into the 10th inning for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 23, 2017, before Josh Harrison hit a game-ending home run.
Hill didn’t flirt with immortality this time. Kevin Newman led off the first inning with a single and Bryan Reynolds followed with a two-run homer into the bullpen in center field. But the Pirates didn’t score again until the ninth inning as their losing streak reached six games.
After the Reynolds’ homer, Hill retired the next 12 batters and 15 of 16.
The Red Sox made it 4-2 on Verdugo’s RBI double in the fifth. They broke the game open in the final two innings. Pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder drew a bases-loaded walk from Eric Stout in the eighth, and Kevin Plawecki hit a two-run double in the ninth to increase the lead to 8-2.
Pittsburgh rookie Roansy Contreras (3-3) was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to the game and allowed four runs on six hits in six innings with four walks and three strikeouts. He had been sent to the minor leagues July 7 to limit his innings pitched.
Ben Gamel hit an RBI single for the Pirates in the bottom of the ninth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Left-hander James Paxton is expected to make his first rehab start Thursday in the Florida Gulf Coast League. After undergoing Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery last year, Paxton signed with Boston as a free agent in December. … Left-hander Matt Strahm (left wrist contusion) is expected to join the team Thursday and could be activated from the injured list then … Shortstop Xander Bogaerts (bruised right shin) returned to the lineup after sitting out Tuesday.
Pirates: Catcher Tyler Heineman (right groin strain) was activated from the 10-day IL, catcher Jose Godoy was optioned to Indianapolis and right-hander Austin Brice was designated for assignment. … Right-hander Mitch Keller played catch, a day after being removed from his start after two innings because of shoulder fatigue. … Right-hander David Bednar (low back inflammation) may be able to start playing catch by the weekend. … Though out for the season following hamstring surgery, catcher Roberto Perez has been cleared to participate in baseball activities and is hopeful of playing winter ball.
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