BOSTON -- As one mammoth David Ortiz home run followed another on a regular basis this season, it almost seemed inevitable that he'd be etching his name into the Boston Red Sox' record books.

And last night, it officially came to pass.

Thanks to yet another majestic, towering home run launched by Ortiz, Jimmie Foxx has company atop the single-season franchise record for home runs.

Ortiz mashed his 50th home run of the season on the first pitch he saw from Minnesota's Boof Bonser in the sixth inning, tying Foxx for the most homers in team history. Foxx set the record in 1938.

While Ortiz still has 10 games remaining in which to claim sole ownership of the record, last night's rocket -- hit just to the right of the triangle in center field and just above the Boston bullpen -- at least pulled the Red Sox' designated hitter and MVP candidate even with Foxx.

"I guess a lot of people in New England are going to remember me for a while," said Ortiz, smiling broadly in the Sox' clubhouse. "It's a great feeling. It's nice to be up there with a great player like Jimmie Foxx. So many great guys played here.

"When I touched the plate I felt like I got done what people were expecting me to do. It seemed like there were a lot of happy faces (all around the ballpark) enjoying the moment. It seemed like the fans really enjoyed what I did on the field. A lot of people were waiting for me to get it done. Thank God it happened. Fifty homers is not easy to do. It takes a lot of energy, a lot of work and a lot of good things to happen to do it," said Ortiz, who leads the league in homers and RBI (130).

His manager and teammates were happy for him.

"That's great. He's so deserving," said manager Terry Francona. "This will be big not only locally, but it will get some national attention, too, for David, which he richly deserves. You could tell by David's reaction it meant a lot to him. It meant a lot to his teammates and the way the fans reacted, it meant a lot to them, too. He's such a great person and a great player."

Veteran pitcher Curt Schilling echoed Francona's sentiments.

"This franchise has been around a long time. Some of the greatest hitters in the game have played here and he's on the cusp of something (setting the record) that no one has achieved in this uniform. As a student of the game, it's pretty cool to watch. What he's doing is pretty special," said Schilling.

As Big Papi circled the bases, the number "50" was flashing on the scoreboard to the right of the flag pole in center field. There were other flashes, as well, with fans recording the dramatic, exhilarating moment with cameras as they stood, applauding and cheering Ortiz.

When Ortiz reached the dugout, he was hugged by manager Terry Francona and then slowly walked down the steps, exchanging high fives and fist-bangs with teammates.

Mike Lowell, the next Red Sox hitter, stayed out of the batter's box for two minutes, waiting for Ortiz to hop back out of the dugout for a curtain call.

Finally, Ortiz did so, taking off his helmet and waving it to the crowd, acknowledging the fans' cheers. He waved it first to the fans behind the Sox dugout and then turned toward the third-base side of the field and waved it to the fans there, as well, before going back into the dugout.

It marked the 20th time in American League history that a player had reached the 50-homer plateau in a season. Ortiz became the 13th different player to bash 50, and the first since Texas' Alex Rodriguez (57) and Cleveland's Jim Thome (52) in 2002.

The homer, which gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in an eventual 8-2 loss, also was the 43rd he clubbed as a designated hitter, tying the DH record he had set only last year.

So on this night, it was time to forget about the MVP firestorm Ortiz created with his comments on the topic of power hitters being more deserving of the award than someone such as the Yankees' Derek Jeter.

It also was time to forget that the Red Sox' chances for a fourth straight postseason berth had effectively evaporated at least two weeks ago, or that by losing to the Twins last night, Boston was eliminated from the A.L. East, handing the Yankees their ninth straight division crown.

This was a night of celebration for Ortiz, the massive, cheerful bear of a man who has blossomed in Boston since joining the organization as a free agent in 2003. The homer last night continues his progression of homer totals, from 31 in 2003 to 41 in 2004 to 47 last year and now 50 and counting in 2006.

Not that this season has been all rosy for Ortiz. A month ago he had heart palpitations that sent him to the hospital for a night, and a few weeks later he had a recurrence of the problem, ultimately sending him back to the hospital for more tests.

Overall, he missed seven games before being cleared to return on Sept. 4. At the time, he had 47 homers. Number 48 came at home against Kansas City on Sept. 10, and last Sunday he rocketed number 49 in Yankee Stadium.

Last night, though, he was able to provide the home crowd with a record-tying thrill that at least momentarily took the focus off the team's slide into oblivion in the standings.

He had one chance to push Foxx out of the record books, but the Twins, for whom he played the first four years of his big-league career, didn't give him a pitch in the strike zone. Dennys Reyes walked him on four pitches, unintentionally, in the eighth.

So the record will have to wait. But for now, David Ortiz owns a piece of it with Jimmie Foxx, and that was cause for celebration on an otherwise disappointing night for the Red Sox.

skrasner@projo.com / (401) 277-7340