BOSTON -- Hall of Famer Eddie Murray stood at home plate before the game Tuesday night and presented Manny Ramirez with a plaque to commemorate his 500th career home run.

Then he sat in a luxury box during the game and watched Ramirez push him a little bit farther down the all-time home-run list.

Ramirez broke a tie with Murray and moved past him into 22nd place when he hit career homer No. 505 in the fifth inning. It came moments after J.D. Drew had put the Sox ahead, 5-4, with a two-run home run of his own -- the sixth time the Sox hit back-to-back home runs this season -- and gave Boston a 6-4 lead. The advantage didn't hold, however, as the Orioles rallied for a 10-6 victory.

The homer was actually the realization of a prediction Ramirez made before the game, when he told his former teammate -- they played together in Cleveland from 1994-96 -- that he would pass him in the career homer category.

Murray, whose affection for Ramirez is obvious, didn't mind. Indeed, he was honored to be part of the pregame ceremony.

"You knew once he learned to think with the pitchers and the catchers, this was something that was just going to happen," said Murray, referring to Ramirez’s 500 home runs. "He’s a hard worker when it comes to hitting."

Murray hit his 500th career home in September of 1996 at Camden Yards. Ironically, Ramirez’s landed in the same section in the right-field seats.

The days leading up to Ramirez’s milestone, he admitted he was thinking about it too much. Fans would ask him constantly when he thought he would hit 500. Murray admitted it’s tough to accomplish.

"It’s pain in the butt," Murray said. "I would walk up to the plate with my head down and then when I would look to see the pitcher, I would see a sea of orange. [The fans] think I can do this on command. That went on for about two or three long weeks. It’s a tough thing to do."