A-Rod takes Dickey deep for 650th career homer

TORONTO -- Third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit the 650th home run of his career on Monday, connecting for a solo shot in the fifth inning off the Blue Jays' R.A. Dickey at Rogers Centre.

The homer, Rodriguez's third of the season, struck a wall behind the Toronto bullpen in right field and tied the score at 2.

"Alex hit a pretty good pitch; it was a knuckleball down," Dickey said. "He likes the ball down and out over the plate, and that one just happened to go there. He did a good job of hitting it out. He has opposite-field power, he always has."

Rodriguez ranks fifth on baseball's all-time homer list and is closing ground on Hall of Famer Willie Mays (660). Rodriguez's contract includes a $6 million bonus payable if he ties Mays.

The shot off Dickey was Rodriguez's first since his emotional shot off Boston's Ryan Dempster on Aug. 18, which came innings after Dempster intentionally hit Rodriguez with a 92-mph fastball, earning a five-game suspension.

Rodriguez entered Monday in a 3-for-19 skid over the six games following that contest at Fenway Park.