Alex Rodriguez hits 661st home run, passing Willie Mays on the all-time list

New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez is now in sole possession of fourth place on the all-time home run list.

Rodriguez hit his 661st homer Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles, passing Willie Mays. The blast came in the bottom of the third inning. 

With Chris Tillman on the mound, Rodriguez smashed an 83-mph changeup out to center for the solo shot. After returning to the dugout, the fans cheered until A-Rod came out for a curtain call.

The milestone blast nearly happened during A-Rod’s first at-bat. In the bottom of the first inning, Rodriguez nearly hit a home run to right field, but was robbed by outfielder Delmon Young. 

Rodriguez came into the game with a strong track record against Tillman. In 10 at-bats, Rodriguez had hit three home runs against the 27-year-old. He added his fourth, and nearly his fifth, home run against Tillman on Thursday.

Rodriguez hit his 660th home run May 1 against the Boston Red Sox. In the eighth inning, Rodriguez entered the game as a pinch hitter, and delivered a go-ahead solo shot.

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Since the hit, there has been plenty of discussion about whether the Yankees will pay Rodriguez his $6 million bonus. General manager Brian Cashman has said the team will not pay out the bonus. Rodriguez has been asked about the situation, but has mostly declined comment. 

With the blast, Rodriguez is now 53 home runs away from tying Babe Ruth for third on the all-time list. 

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik