AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter recorded his 2,519th career hit on Tuesday to pass Babe Ruth for second place on the venerable club’s all-time list.
Jeter, 34, stroked a single off Angels starter Ervin Santana in the first inning, and added another hit in the 7-1 victory to take his total to 2,520.
Jeter had tied Ruth on Sunday.
Now he’s chasing Lou Gehrig, who owns the Yankees career record for hits with 2,721.
On Sunday in Seattle, Jeter said he and the fading Yankees had more pressing concerns than his matching or surpassing Ruth.
“We’re trying to win games,” he said, but added: “Any time you mention guys like that, obviously it’s an honor.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said on Tuesday he thought Jeter would appreciate the accomplishment more once the season is over.
“I think when he goes home for the winter and he’s sitting around and sees the ball on his mantle, I think he’s going to enjoy it,” Girardi said. “A lot of players have a hard time enjoying things during the season.”
Jeter is also chasing Gehrig for the all-time record of hits at Yankee Stadium. He is nine hits shy of catching Gehrig at 1,269 with 10 home games remaining this season in the Bronx.
Jeter can resume that pursuit tomorrow, when the Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jeter went into Tuesday’s game batting .295 with 10 home runs and 67 RBIs. He made his Major League debut with New York in May 1995 and was named the Yankees’ team captain in 2003.
Johnny Damon homered twice and Alex Rodriguez added a three-run shot as New York postponed the Angels’ AL West title celebration.
RAYS 5, RED SOX 4
At Boston, Massachusetts, pinch-hitter Dan Johnson homered off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning to tie it, and Dioner Navarro doubled in the go-ahead run as Tampa Bay rallied past Boston.
The Rays had lost four straight and six of seven.
The Red Sox had won six of seven, including a 3-0 victory in the series opener — to cut the lead in the AL East from 5.5 to one-half game.
The Rays are 1.5 up and assured of leading the division when they left town yesterday.
Boston holds a six-game lead in the AL wild-card over Minnesota.BLUE JAYS 3, WHITE SOX 1, 1ST GAME
BLUE JAYS 8, WHITE SOX 2, 2ND GAME
At Chicago, Marco Scutaro hit a leadoff homer and Scott Rolen and Vernon Wells also went deep for Toronto in the second game to sweep the doubleheader and extend its winning streak to 10.
Chicago’s Paul Konerko was helped off the field in the fifth inning of the second game with what the team called a mildly sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
Toronto is on its longest winning streak since a franchise-record 11 straight from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7, 1998. The Blue Jays moved within seven games of Boston in the AL wild card.
In other games it was:
• Twins 7, Royals 2
• Athletics 3, Tigers 2
• Indians 6, Orioles 1
• Rangers 7, Mariners 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ST. LOUIS, Missouri
The St. Louis Cardinals scored on a play at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Tuesday and boost their National League playoff hopes.
Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols homered for the third straight game as St. Louis crept within 3.5 games of wildcard holder Milwaukee, while the Cubs could not improve their 4.5 game lead atop the NL Central division.
With scores tied and bases loaded in the ninth, pinch-runner Brendan Ryan charged home from third on an infield hit, just beating the throw to home plate and scoring the winning run.
Chicago has lost eight of its past nine, scoring three runs or fewer in six of them.
In other games it was:
• Dodgers 6, Padres 2
• Mets 10, Nationals 8
• Marlins 10, Phillies 8
• Giants 5, Diamondbacks 4
• Reds 5, Brewers 4, 11 innings
• Braves 5, Rockies 4, 10 innings
• Astros 9, Pirates 3
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