Derek Jeter Passes Babe Ruth in Career Hits as Yankees Beat Red Sox 7-2

Derek Jeter passed Babe Ruth on Major League Baseball’s career hit list as the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 7-2.

Jeter drove in three runs and had two hits to push his total to 2,875, the most among active players and 39th in baseball history. Jeter’s run-scoring single in the second inning last night at Yankee Stadium moved him past Ruth, a Hall of Famer who spent 15 seasons with the Yankees.

New York’s Dustin Moseley held the Red Sox to two runs over 6 1/3 innings in place of starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, who was scratched because of back spasms. The Yankees have won two straight against the Red Sox after dropping the series opener and improved to 69-41, the best record in the majors.

New York has opened a 2 1/2-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays atop the American League East. The Rays lost to Toronto 1-0 yesterday as Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow came within one out of throwing the sixth no-hitter of the season.

The Red Sox fell to 63-49 and slipped seven games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Boston trailed 2-1 last night before pitcher Josh Beckett allowed five runs in the fifth inning. Mark Teixeira hit his team-leading 25th home run for the Yankees, while Jeter and Lance Berkman each added run-scoring doubles.

The Yankees host the Red Sox this afternoon in the finale of their four-game series.

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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