With a two-run shot off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Livan Hernandez in the first inning this evening, Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez now stands at 498 career home runs as he tries to become only the 24th player in Major League Baseball history to hit 500 home runs. On the season, Ramirez has eight home runs, including two hit in the first eight games of a 10-game road trip for the Red Sox after a stretch of over two weeks without one; in seven-plus seasons with the club, he has stroked 262. Ramirez, who had never hit fewer than 33 in a single season with the club over his first six years in Boston, was expected to pass the mark last season along with Alex Rodriguez, Jim Thome, and Frank Thomas but managed just 20 long balls in 2007. The only other active player with a shot to make the 500 home run mark this season is Gary Sheffield, who stands at 482. Ramirez now also stands at 1630 career RBI that places him 26th all-time.

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Manny Ramirez