NEW YORK -- A year ago, Alex Rodriguez was far away from the spotlight of the New York Yankees and baseball due to his past transgressions. He never envisioned he would receive another curtain call or ovation.

Rodriguez got both Thursday after moving past Hall of Famer Willie Mays into sole possession of fourth place on baseball's career home run list with No. 661 in New York's 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Rodriguez received his ovation from the 39,816 fans after driving a 1-1 changeup with two outs in the third from Baltimore right-hander Chris Tillman well beyond the center field fence, giving New York a 3-2 lead.

As he rounded the bases, Rodriguez pumped his fist, the scoreboard gave a brief acknowledgement, and the controversial slugger was given a standing ovation and greeted with handshakes and high-fives from teammates in the dugout.

"Nobody will ever pass Willie Mays," Rodriguez said. "I talked about him being my father's favorite player. There's only one Willie Mays, not only what he did on the field but what he meant off the field. He's a legend, and he's also a role model for all of us."

The cheers continued for a few more minutes, and when first baseman Mark Teixeira stepped out of the batter's box, Rodriguez took his curtain call, emerging from the dugout and waving to fans with both hands above his head.

"It's been a long time," Rodriguez said. "I surely thought the days of curtain calls for me were long gone."

New York manager Joe Girardi said, "There's been other guys that went through suspensions and their troubles that have done things at times that have turned the fans off. When you're productive, you kind of re-earn their respect and they pull for you."

Rodriguez hit his seventh home run and drove in his 18th run since returning from last year's historic 162-game suspension for being involved in the Biogenesis performance-enhancing-drug scandal. The homer and RBIs totals rank second on the Yankees. In a year when many did not know what to expect on the field and from the fans, both aspects are going decently for Rodriguez, whose next milestone is 3,000 hits, which he is 38 away from reaching.

"All of this is pretty crazy," Rodriguez said. "A year ago, I never thought I'd get a curtain call or be hitting in the middle of the lineup for the New York Yankees helping our team win."

"He's meant a lot," Girardi said. "We started hitting him I think sixth when the season started because we weren't exactly sure what we were going to get, and he kept moving his way up. He's done a really job in the three-hole, getting on base, driving in baserunners, hitting home runs for us, scoring runs."

If things went differently Thursday, Rodriguez might have had No. 662. In the first inning, he hit a deep drive, but Baltimore right fielder Delmon Young made a leaping catch just in front of the fence, and Rodriguez settled for a sacrifice fly instead of a three-run home run.

"I didn't think it was gone when he hit it because he kept kind of going back, going back," Rodriguez. "Then I thought it had a shot, and then he looked like Roberto Clemente."

Rodriguez's home run and sacrifice fly helped the Yankees win for the 12th time in 16 games. Teixeira drove in the other two runs with a single and a double.

Designated hitter Jimmy Paredes and catcher Caleb Joseph hit solo home runs for Baltimore. Joseph also had an RBI double, but first baseman Chris Davis struck out four times and shortstop J.J. Hardy went 0-for-4 in his season debut.

Both starting pitchers lasted into the sixth inning but constantly had runners on base.

New York's Nathan Eovaldi (3-0) remained unbeaten despite allowing three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Tillman (2-4) also went 5 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs and 10 hits, one shy of his career high.

"I don't like it," Tillman said of surrendering Rodriguez's blast. "Any time I give up a home run, I don't like it. He's one of the all-time greats. You've got to respect it. Any time you make a mistake to that guy, he's going to make you pay, and he pretty much did twice tonight."

Yankees left-hander Justin Wilson got four outs, Dellin Betances pitched a hitless eighth, and Andrew Miller struck out two in the ninth for his 12th save.

Paredes gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the top of the first. Rodriguez's sacrifice fly forged a 1-1 tie, and Teixeira's run-scoring single gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead after the first.

Baltimore tied it again when Joseph hit his fourth home run, but Rodriguez's milestone home run regained the one-run lead for New York. The Orioles tied it again on a double by Joseph in the fifth. Teixeira roped a tiebreaking double with one out in the fifth.

NOTES: New York RHP Masahiro Tanaka threw 50 pitches at 60 feet in his first activity since being placed on the disabled list with right wrist tendinitis and a right forearm contusion. The Yankees said he will do the same before Friday's game. ... New York LHP Chris Capuano (groin) pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed one run in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... Orioles INF Ryan Flaherty is expected to return from the disabled list Friday. Flaherty, out since April 24 with a groin injury, took pregame batting practice. ... To activate SS J.J. Hardy from the DL, the Orioles placed INF Everth Cabrera on the DL with a left foot injury. Cabrera was hit on the foot by a pitch during Wednesday's game against the New York Mets. After the game, Cabrera said he would undergo an MRI exam Friday.