Yankees 7, Red Sox 2: New York Jumps Over Boston With Five-Run Fifth

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Derek Jeter punctuated a five-run fifth inning with a two-run double and the Yankees received a quality performance from emergency starter Dustin Moseley, as New York beat the Boston Red Sox, 7-2, in the third installment of a four-game set.

Jeter also singled home a run in the second to surpass fellow Yankee legend Babe Ruth and claim sole possession of 39th place on baseball's all-time hits list.

"It means a lot to this organization. Obviously, Babe Ruth means a lot to baseball," Jeter said. "Any time you get a chance to pass him at anything it's special."

Lance Berkman had three hits, scored twice and knocked in a run for AL East- leading New York, which moved 2 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay in the division standings after the Rays were nearly no-hit by Toronto's Brandon Morrow on Sunday.

Moseley (2-1) took the hill in place of scheduled starter A.J. Burnett and allowed two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Burnett was scratched due to back spasms.

While Burnett was out of the New York lineup, third baseman Alex Rodriguez returned after missing Saturday's game with a lower left leg contusion that he sustained when struck by a batting-practice line drive from Berkman.

Bill Hall homered for the Red Sox, who are seven games behind their bitter rivals from the Bronx. Josh Beckett (3-2) was tagged for seven runs and a season-high 11 hits in just 4 2/3 innings.

"They're certainly not afraid to work the count or hit deep in the count," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of the Yankee batters. "That's what they do well when they're on their game. Regardless of what the count is, when you leave the ball over the middle they hurt you."

The Yankees jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second. With two outs and a runner on second, Brett Gardner hit a grounder up the middle. Hall ranged to his left, diving to keep the ball from reaching the outfield, and made an off- balance throw to first base that eluded Victor Martinez. Gardner was awarded a single on the play and the error allowed Berkman -- aboard via a one-out double -- to score the game's first run.

Gardner then stole second and came home on Jeter's base hit.

Moseley worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, but Hall greeted the right-hander by homering to begin the next inning, cutting Boston's deficit in half.

New York, though, countered with five runs in the home half of the fifth. Mark Teixeira led off by crushing a 2-1 pitch to deep right field for his team- leading 25th home run of the season. Rodriguez walked and Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch. One out later, Berkman slapped an RBI double down the left- field line.

With the bases loaded following a walk to Curtis Granderson, Boston catcher Kevin Cash tried unsuccessfully to pick off Cano on a third strike to Gardner and his errant throw allowed Cano to score. Jeter then doubled to right field to make it a 7-1 game.

An infield single by pinch-hitter Mike Lowell closed the gap to five runs in the seventh. The Red Sox loaded the bases later in the inning, but Boone Logan got David Ortiz on a grounder to second to end the frame.

Game Notes

Rodriguez stole his 300th career base in the sixth inning. He becomes the third player all time with at least 600 home runs and 300 stolen bases, joining Willie Mays (660-338) and Barry Bonds (762-514)...Jeter now has 2,875 career hits, two more than Ruth and one shy of Mel Ott...Beckett has an 11.17 ERA in four starts against the Yankees this season...New York improved to 37-19 at home and 7-4 versus Boston in 2010...Teixeira has homered in five of his last eight games...Teixeira has hit at least 25 home runs in each of his first eight major league seasons, becoming just the fourth player in baseball history to accomplish the feat. He joins Eddie Mathews (11 seasons), Albert Pujols (10) and Darryl Strawberry (nine)...Boston third baseman Adrian Beltre went 1-for-3 to extend his season-high hitting streak to 14 games...Burnett is scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday in Texas.

Sunday Night Baseball: A.J. Burnett Scratched Due To Back Spasms

Roughly three hours before his scheduled start Sunday night, the Yankees' A.J. Burnett was scratched from tonight's game with the Red Sox because of back spasms. Burnett will not pitch until Tuesday, with Phil Hughes throwing on Monday.

Starting in place of Burnett will be Dustin Moseley, a non-roster invitee to spring training this season. He was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 2 to fill-in for Andy Pettitte. In two starts, Moseley has allowed six earned runs in 13.1 IP.

Sunday Night Baseball: Red Sox-Yankees Lineups Announced

Per the Boston Globe's Peter Abraham, here are the lineups for Sunday nights games between the Red Sox and Yankees:

RED SOX:
Ellsbury CF
Scutaro SS
Ortiz DH
Martinez 1B
Drew RF
Beltre 3B
Kalish LF
Hall 2B
Cash C

Pitching: RHP Josh Beckett (3-1, 5.70)

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Berkman DH
Granderson CF
Gardner LF

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (9-9, 4.93)

Sunday Night Baseball: Red Sox Turn To Josh Beckett Needing A Win In New York

(Sports Network) - Josh Beckett will try to build off one his best starts of the season and keep Boston in the playoff hunt, as the Red Sox resume a crucial four-game set with the New York Yankees tonight in the Bronx.

On Tuesday, Beckett turned in a dominant effort in a 3-1 win over Cleveland, allowing one earned run and just three hits over a season-high eight innings. He struck out eight and walked none. It was the second win in three starts since returning from a lower back injury that kept Beckett sidelined for over two months.

The veteran right-hander, however, has had some issues with the Yankees in his career, boasting a 9-6 record and a 5.95 ERA in 20 starts. He is 0-2 with a 9.93 ERA in his last four starts against them, allowing five runs in just 4 2/3 innings of work at Yankee Stadium on May 18th. Boston went on to win that game, 7-6, but Beckett was placed on the DL following the outing.

Countering for New York will be A.J. Burnett, who is 0-3 with a 9.40 ERA in six starts versus the Red Sox since joining the Yankees last season. In his most recent appearance against Boston, the right-hander was tagged for nine runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-3 loss on May 9th.

Burnett is also trying to bounce back from a disastrous start on Monday, when he gave up eight earned runs and eight hits in just 4 2/3 innings of an 8-6 loss to Toronto. He fell to 4-4 with a 4.24 ERA in 10 home starts.

On Saturday, the Yankees got a spark from Ramiro Pena, who filled in for the injured Alex Rodriguez, and knocked in a pair of runs to lift New York to a 5-2 victory over rival Boston in the second of a four-game set from Yankee Stadium.

Pena took over at third base for Rodriguez, who was forced from the lineup after being struck in the left shin by a batting-practice line drive from Lance Berkman. X-rays taken following the incident were negative, but there is no timetable for his return.

"I have no idea, I didn't see anything. I just got hit," Rodriguez admitted. "It was the left ankle, inside part. Never been hit like that, plenty of times there were close calls. I never saw it. I got hit and started jumping around in pain. I went down for the count, and they all got a good laugh out of it."

Curtis Granderson collected two hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the Yankees, who had dropped four of five, including the series-opener on Friday, coming in.

CC Sabathia (14-5) turned in eight strong innings for the win, yielding six hits and a pair of runs with four strikeouts and one walk.

Mariano Rivera picked up the final three outs for his 23rd save for New York, which moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay in the AL East after the Rays were pounded in Toronto.

Victor Martinez homered and Adrian Beltre doubled and scored a run for the Red Sox, whose two-game win streak was halted.

John Lackey (10-7) was charged in the loss with eight hits and five runs over six full frames, fanning seven and issuing three walks.

New York has won six of its 10 meetings with the Red Sox this season.