BOSTON — Rich Hill kept up his startling comeback, pitching a two-hitter and striking out 10 as the Boston Red Sox beat the Orioles 7-0 Friday night.

Hill, 35, was released by Washington in June, then played for the Long Island Ducks in an independent league before signing a minor league deal with the Red Sox in August. He’s now 2-0 for Boston.

Hill threw his second career shutout – the other came in 2006 with the Chicago Cubs. The game ended when right fielder Mookie Betts made a leaping catch at the wall, robbing Chris Davis of a homer.

Hill gave up a hit to the first batter he faced before holding Baltimore hitless until Dariel Alvarez opening the ninth with an infield single.

Earlier this month, Hill became the first Red Sox pitcher to fan 10 or more in his initial two starts.

David Ortiz had three doubles and three RBIs as Boston stopped a three-game losing streak. Xander Bogaerts added three hits and drove in a run.

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Kevin Gausman (3-7) gave up five runs in five-plus innings, falling to 1-6 with a 6.10 ERA on the road.

The Orioles were coming off a three-game sweep of the Nationals.

Hill hadn’t started in the majors in six years before coming up in September. The Red Sox are the fourth big league team the lefty has pitched for in the last three seasons.

Leading 2-0 in the sixth, Boston scored two runs when both players slid into the plate a second or so apart on Ortiz’s double that chased Gausman.

Dustin Pedroia drew a leadoff walk and Bogaerts singled. Ortiz then hit a deep shot to right, just out of the reach of Alvarez.

Pedroia, who held up to see if the ball was caught so he could tag, beat the relay throw by going in headfirst before Bogaerts slid in ahead of catcher Caleb Joseph’s tag. Brock Holt’s RBI double made it 5-0.


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