BOSTON (AP) – Mariano Rivera retired David Ortiz on a pop-up with the bases loaded for the final out, and Derek Jeter broke an eighth-inning tie with a three-run homer that sent the New York Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.

Curt Schilling (8-8) outlasted Roger Clemens but couldn’t beat Jeter, who drove a 2-2 splitter over the Green Monster to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead. Joba Chamberlain and Rivera held on, helping New York move within 4 games of first-place Boston in the AL East.

The Red Sox have a magic number of nine to clinch their first division title since 1995, but the Yankees won the season series 10-8 – the first tiebreaker should the teams finish the season with the same record.

New York won six of the final seven meetings – after Boston took the first four and five of the first six.

The Yankees, who lead Detroit in the AL wild-card standings by 21/2 games, have won nine of 11 overall.

Chamberlain (2-0) allowed one run and two hits, striking out three to earn the victory despite giving up the first earned run of his career – a solo homer to Mike Lowell that made it 4-2.

Rivera allowed Julio Lugo’s two-out RBI double in the ninth, then hit Jacoby Ellsbury with a pitch and walked Dustin Pedroia.

Ortiz popped up a 2-2 pitch into shallow center field, and a backpedaling Jeter made the catch before pumping his fist.

It was Rivera’s 28th save. Robinson Cano also homered for New York.

Schilling allowed four runs and six hits, striking out two in 7 2-3 innings to fall to 0-3 in his last four starts.

The Red Sox right-hander gave up Cano’s homer to lead off the fifth, then retired 10 straight batters before Doug Mientkiewicz singled with one out in the eighth. Jason Giambi, who was out of the starting lineup so banged-up catcher Jorge Posada could DH, pinch hit and lined a single high off the Green Monster, sending Mientkiewicz to third as Giambi took second on the throw to the infield.

Johnny Damon dribbled one off a broken bat, requiring a nice play by second baseman Pedroia to hold the runners and get the out at first. Jeter fell behind 1-2 before giving the Yankees the lead and chasing Schilling from the game.

Jeter is batting .441 (26-for-59) with runners in scoring positions and two outs, the best mark in the majors.

Matching up for the first time since Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Schilling and Clemens dueled to a 1-all tie through 61/2 innings before Chamberlain relieved Clemens to start the seventh. Chamberlain had not allowed a run in 17 2-3 innings over 13 appearances before Lowell connected.

Clemens allowed one unearned run, two hits and three walks in all, striking out four – all in a row in the third and fourth innings

Ellsbury led off the Boston first with a sinking blooper to left and Damon dropped it for an error. Ellsbury stole second and scored on Lowell’s single to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

That was the only hit Clemens allowed until Lowell singled with one out in the sixth, after Ortiz walked. But the Red Sox stranded Ortiz on third and left Eric Hinske on third after he doubled to lead off the seventh.

Notes: A fan chased Hinske to second base when he doubled in the seventh, tried to high-five him and then stole Cano’s hat before fleeing into left field. He was apprehended, roughly, by security. … Posada was in the lineup at DH instead of catcher, one day after being knocked over in a home plate collision with Hinske. … Pedroia got knocked to the ground by RF J.D. Drew shortly after catching Damon’s popup in the first. … Boston 1B Kevin Youkilis was out of the lineup a day after being hit on the right wrist by a pitch. It was diagnosed as a bruise. … Ellsbury failed to hit safely for the first time in 14 games since being called up from the minors on Sept. 1.

AP-ES-09-16-07 2334EDT