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A-Rod hits home run No. 659, moves within 1 of Willie Mays for 4th all-time

Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

Alex Rodriguez has done it again.

The New York Yankees designated hitter took Mets left-hander Jon Niese deep in the bottom of the first inning Sunday night for his 659th career home run, moving within one blast of tying Willie Mays for fourth on the all-time list.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

It was the fifth homer of the season for Rodriguez, who sat out last year while serving a drug suspension.

Player Home Runs
Barry Bonds 762
Hank Aaron 755
Babe Ruth 714
Willie Mays 660
Alex Rodriguez 659
Ken Griffey Jr. 630

One more homer and the Yankees will owe A-Rod a $6-million bonus, which the team plans to fight.

Rodriguez doubled to left field in his next at-bat in the bottom of the second to, coincidentally, tie Mays for 44th on the all-time doubles list (523). The double capped a four-run second to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead.

Rodriguez had just three hits in his previous 24 at-bats coming into the game, and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Saturday against Mets starter Matt Harvey. He rebounded nicely Sunday with a 2-for-4 performance with a pair of RBIs to complement his homer.

The Bronx Bombers prevailed 6-4 to take two of three from the Mets in the Subway Series.

A-Rod's next opportunity to pull even with Mays on the all-time home run list will be Monday when the Tampa Bay Rays visit Yankee Stadium.

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