MINNEAPOLIS -- Manny Ramirez (right hamstring), who didn’t start Sunday night, returned to the Sox’ lineup and immediately made his presence felt.

He bashed the 498th homer of his career, a two-run shot to right in the first inning that put the Sox on top, 3-0. It was Ramirez’s eighth homer of the season, and it boosted his career RBI total to 1,630, moving him past Harold Baines and into 26th place on the all-time list. The homer snapped Ramirez’s 1-for-16 skid.

Specially marked baseballs will be used for every Ramirez at-bat so as to authenticate home run numbers 499 and 500.

Ramirez says he doesn’t feel any extra pressure to reach the 500 plateau.

“If I hit two home runs are they [the Red Sox] going to pick up my option? Why should I be pressing?” said Ramirez, referring to the two-year option the club holds on him after this season.

He was asked if he would prefer to break the record at Fenway Park.

“It’s not up to me,” said Ramirez, “It’s not like driving a car, when you can go left and you can go right.”

Ramirez was told the Red Sox are 4-4 on this trip.

“I didn’t know that,” he said.

-STEVEN KRASNER