BALTIMORE — Dreadlocks are in fashion in the exclusive 500-home-run club, now that Manny Ramirez has added his name to the list of baseball's most prolific sluggers.

Ramirez became the 24th player to reach the milestone, connecting in the seventh inning off Chad Bradford to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-3, last night.

Boston's left fielder hit the first pitch into the bleacher seats in right-center. He stood and watched the flight of the ball, then took off around the bases in a slow trot, a broad smile on his face.

"I'm happy, you know, about everything I accomplished in life," Ramirez said afterward. "Not everybody has the chance to go and get to 500. I'm just proud to do it."

It took him long enough. After hitting No. 496 on April 19, he had only three homers in 34 games before yesterday.

"Every time you get to the hotel, (people say), 'Hey, when you gonna hit it?' I'm just happy everything's done for now," Ramirez said. "I can go be myself and have fun."

Ramirez certainly had a delightful time rounding the bases. He slapped a high-five with first base coach Luis Alicea, tapped hands with third base coach DeMarlo Hale, then hugged on-deck hitter Mike Lowell as he crossed the plate. Many of his teammates greeted him as he reached the dugout, where Ramirez received more hugs and bounced up and down in an embrace with David Ortiz and Julio Lugo.

"They're so proud to have me, a guy so loose, to play the game," Ramirez said of his teammates. "I guess they really appreciate it."

The solo shot gave Boston a 5-3 lead. It traveled an estimated 410 feet.

The 500-home run club has only two dozen members, but Ramirez also joined an even smaller fraternity. He is only the seventh player in baseball history with 500 homers, 1,500 RBIs, 1,000 walks, 475 doubles and a .300 batting average. The others are Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams.

"It's nice to be part of history," Ramirez said.

Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia also homered for the Red Sox, and Jacoby Ellsbury stole three bases in a second straight game. Ellsbury also tripled in the seventh off Lance Cormier (0-2) and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Ortiz

Rays 2, White Sox 0: Scott Kazmir (5-1) spaced three hits over seven innings to win his fifth straight start after spending all of April on the disabled list with a left elbow strain, and Cliff Floyd homered for the second straight game to lead host Tampa Bay over Chicago.

Royals 4, Indians 2: David DeJesus homered and Kyle Davies (1-0) gave up one run on five hits over five innings just hours after being called up from Triple-A to help host Kansas City beat Cleveland and end a 12-game losing streak.

Rangers 8, Athletics 4: Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs to push his RBI total to a major league-leading 61, and Sidney Ponson (4-1) allowed four runs and nine hits in seven innings as host Texas beat Oakland.

Mariners 5, Tigers 0: Felix Hernandez (3-5) allowed just two hits in seven innings to end his five-game losing streak, Kenji Johjima stole home, and host Seattle handed Detroit its major league-leading ninth shutout loss of the season.

Yankees 7, Twins 6: Following singles by Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu hit a floater into shallow center field to score Damon from second base with one out in the top of the 12th inning to break a 6-all tie and lift New York over Minnesota.

Angels 3, Blue Jays 2: Maicer Izturis set up the winning run with a bunt single, his fourth hit of the game, and pinch-hitter Juan Rivera delivered a base-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Los Angeles over Toronto.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

REDS 8, BRAVES 7: Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 599th career homer and rookie Jay Bruce hit his first major league homer with one out in the bottom of the 10th off Manny Acosta (3-2) to lift Cincinnati over Atlanta, which has lost its last 20 one-run games on the road since last August.

Mets 3, Dodgers 2: Carlos Beltran hit a tying homer and Fernando Tatis singled home the go-ahead run in three-run bottom of the eighth inning to lift New York over Los Angeles for its fourth win in five games following a 1-7 slide.

Cubs 5, Rockies 4: Alfonso Soriano homered and drove in three runs as Chicago won its sixth straight and improved to 25-8 at Wrigley Field this season, while handing Colorado, which got homers from Omar Quintanilla, Todd Helton and Scott Podsednik, its sixth consecutive loss.

Padres 5, Giants 1: Josh Banks (2-0) pitched a six-hitter, giving up a run in the ninth on Aaron Rowand's RBI single, for his first career complete game, and Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run single in a four-run first to lead visiting San Diego past San Francisco.

Brewers 4, Astros 1: Ben Sheets (6-1) spaced seven hits and got within one out of pitching his third complete game of the season, and Prince Fielder and Russell Branyan homered to help host Milwaukee hand Houston its fourth straight loss, its longest losing streak of the season.

Marlins 7, Phillies 3: Luis Gonzalez hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Cody Ross and Jorge Cantu also went deep to lead visiting Florida back into first place in the NL East — a half-game ahead of Philadelphia, which had won five in a row.

Diamondbacks 4, Nationals 0: Brandon Webb (10-2) allowed six singles in pitching his second complete game of the season and eighth career shutout, Mark Reynolds homered twice and host Arizona snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over Washington.

Pirates 14, Cardinals 4: Xavier Nady hit a three-run double in a four-run first, Luis Rivas capped a five-run third with a two-out grand slam to left-center and Ronny Paulino drove in three runs to power visiting Pittsburgh to a rout of St. Louis.