ST. LOUIS (AP) – Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 500th home run Sunday, becoming the 20th player to reach that mark when he connected in the sixth inning of the Cincinnati Reds’ game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Griffey led off the inning against Matt Morris with his 19th homer of the season, becoming the sixth-youngest player to hit 500. He was the fastest to 350, 400 and 450 before being slowed by injuries the last three seasons.

Griffey took an extra few seconds to watch his drive fly into the right-field seats, dropped the bat and then slowly trotted around the bases as if it was any other home run.

There was certainly no embellishment from the base coaches, who simply shook Griffey’s hand as he passed by.

After Griffey crossed the plate, he tapped fists with teammate Adam Dunn, who then tapped Griffey on the helmet. The rest of his teammates came out on the field to congratulate him after the historic homer.

Griffey then went to a box next to the Reds’ dugout and hugged his father, Ken Griffey Sr., and children.

Griffey, the first to reach 500 in a Cincinnati uniform, got a warm ovation from a sellout crowd of 45,620 on Lou Brock bobblehead day. He then received a standing ovation as he ran out to the field before the bottom of the sixth, responding with a wave of his cap.

Before Griffey reached center field, Reds relievers came out of the bullpen and congratulated him.

Jimmie Foxx was the youngest to hit 500, reaching the milestone at 32. Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth also hit theirs at 34, the same age as Griffey.

Three other active players have hit 500 homers. Barry Bonds is third on the career list with 676, Sosa has 549 and Rafael Palmeiro has 538. Fred McGriff needs seven homers to become the 21st player to hit 500.

Griffey was 5-for-21 with four RBIs in six games since homering last Sunday against Cleveland, and hadn’t come close to the fences before hitting a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall, a drive estimated at 393 feet.

The ball was caught by 19-year-old Mark Brummley of Mount Carmel, Ill.

Griffey hit a pair of high fly balls in his first two at-bats. He flied out to center near the warning track leading off the second, and hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in the first run in the Reds’ five-run fourth.

Griffey is the second player to hit his 500th homer in St. Louis. Mark McGwire connected for his 500th off Andy Ashby of the San Diego Padres in 1999.