A-Rod hits homer No. 600 today

NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th career home run today at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to straightaway center field in the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, off Shaun Marcum. It came on a 2-0 pitch with Derek Jeter on first and two out.

Rodriguez became the youngest player in history to join the 600 Club, and the seventh player in baseball history to reach the milestone, behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa.

His 600th HR ended a 12-game homerless slump and came exactly three years to the day after his 500th homer.

He had gone 46 at-bats between home runs Nos. 599 and 600 -- 25 more than Willie Mays, who needed 21 at-bats to reach the milestone in 1970.

A-Rod hit his 599th off Robinson Tejeda of the Kansas City Royals last Thursday at Yankee Stadium.