Ford hits home run for Orioles

Baltimore Orioles' Lew Ford bats during a MLB baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, July 29, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) Baltimore Orioles' Lew Ford bats during a MLB baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Sunday, July 29, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) Photo: Nick Wass, FRE Photo: Nick Wass, FRE Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Ford hits home run for Orioles 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Lew Ford hit his first major league home run in more than five years Monday night.

The Port Neches-Groves graduate now with the Baltimore Orioles led off the second inning with a home run to right field. He last hit a home run in the major leagues on July 29, 2007, while with the Minnesota Twins.

Ford went nearly five years without playing in a major league game until the Orioles called him up in July from Triple-A Norfolk. Ford began the season with an independent league team in Long Island, N.Y., and he played recent seasons in Japan and Mexico.

The right-handed hitting Ford hit the home run off Chicago White Sox left-hander Francisco Liriano.

The home run landed just inside the right field foul pole and Ford smiled as he crossed the plate and stepped into the dugout, according to a video posted on mlb.com.