Alex Rodriguez hits home run No. 661 to move ahead of Willie Mays

NEW YORK —  Alex Rodriguez has passed Willie Mays for fourth place on the career homer list, connecting for No. 661 on Thursday night an at-bat after he was robbed of the milestone drive by a leaping catch.

The New York Yankees star hit a drive off Baltimore’s Chris Tillman just to the left of Monument Park in center field in the third inning. A-Rod sent a shot in the first that Delmon Young caught by reaching over the top of the wall in right field.

The Yankees, who said they will not pay a $6-million bonus after he matched the “Say Hey Kid” on Friday in Boston, on the main videoboard saying, “661 Home Runs. Alex Rodriguez just surpassed Willie Mays for sole possession of 4th place on baseball’s all-time home runs list.”

The slugger pumped his fist as he rounded first base, and fans gave Rodriguez a standing ovation.

Mark Teixeira stepped out of the batter’s box as the cheers swelled. Rodriguez briefly emerged from the dugout and waved to the crowd with both hands above his head.

::

The Boston Red Sox moved to try to improve the worst pitching staff in the American League when they fired pitching coach Juan Nieves on Thursday.

General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement and said another move involving reliever Edward Mujica was expected Friday when the Red Sox start a three-game series at Toronto.

No replacement for Nieves was named, but Cherington said he had a small list of prospects that included at least one person from inside the organization and at least one from outside.

Cherington said he and Manager John Farrell felt the team needed to “have a different voice in that particular position.”

In his first season as a major league pitching coach in 2013, Nieves guided a staff that had a 3.79 earned-run average and a team-record 1,294 strikeouts and helped the Red Sox win the World Series. It faltered last season when the Red Sox finished in last place in the AL East.

This year, the Red Sox have a 4.86 ERA and their starters are at 5.54. Both are the worst in the AL and next to last in the majors, trailing only Colorado.

::

Colorado Rockies closer Adam Ottavino had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and will miss the rest of the season.

Ottavino, 29, had his ulnar collateral ligament reconstructed by Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He went on the disabled list April 27 with right triceps inflammation, soon after he was promoted to closer. He didn’t give up a run in 10 1/3 innings and struck out 13.

John Axford will take over the closer’s role for the Rockies.

::

The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a minor league contract with Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The 30-year-old catcher was released by the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, one month into the second season of a $21-million, three-year contract.

Saltalamacchia is a career .240 hitter with 90 home runs and 320 runs batted in in 718 games over nine seasons with Atlanta, Texas, Boston and Miami. But he was just two for 29 in nine games with the Marlins this season.