I don't know whether to criticize or commend the Camden Yards security guard who collided with Royals' third baseman Mike Moustakas as he chased Robert Andino's foul ball on Friday night.

On one hard, you could say he did a really lousy job vacating his territory as the baseball, Moustakas, shortstop Alcides Escobar and left fielder Alex Gordon all converged on him (at least he grabbed the chair and tucked it somewhat safely away).

On the other hand, maybe the guard witnessed Moustakas crashing into the expensive seats at Yankee Stadium earlier this week while chasing a similar foul ball, and figured his duty was to run interference to protect those seated behind him.

It could go either way.

The Juice is back for its fifth season of fun! Stop by each weekday (and now on Saturdays) for an ample serving of news from the action, plus great photos, stats and video highlights.

Friday night Cruz: There's something about Friday night that brings out the best in Nelson Cruz. On three different Fridays last season, Cruz drove in at least six runs, topping out with eight against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 22. Guess who caught the brunt of it again this particular Friday? Yes, those same Blues Jays.

Cruz matched his career-high RBI total from last season's matchup, clearing the bases with a double in the first, singling home one in the sixth, and capping his big night with a grand slam in the seventh. He was a one-man show, but Josh Hamilton added a solo shot — ending his two week drought — just for good measure as the Rangers rolled, 14-3.

Lester losing luster: Tempers flared in the ninth inning at Fenway Park, but most of the offensive fireworks came well before that as the Tampa Bay Rays lit up John Lester for seven runs in four innings. The biggest blow came via a Matt Joyce third inning grand slam. Elliot Johnson and Carlos Pena later added solo shots as the Rays cruised to a 7-4 win.

Nothing like a good old Friday night battle in the American League East.

And when I say battle, I mean it almost literally.

Oh yes, the benches cleared in Boston on after Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales drilled the Rays Luke Scott in the lower leg — on the fourth attempt, the first sailed behind Scott and the next two just missed inside. This, apparently a continuation of some bad blood that brewed last Thursday in Tampa after Adrian Gonzalez guaranteed a home run against Rays pitching.

As their official response, Tampa's Matt Moore plunked Gonzalez in his first plate appearance on that night. Later in the game, Luke Scott was hit by a Felix Doubront offering, which may indicate Boston has selected him as their primary retaliation target after he made comments running down Red Sox fans back in February.

The slump is over.

A summer long hot streak now appears inevitable.

It took a lot longer than most of us expected, but Albert Pujols has finally settled into his new home, and is nearing the dominant form the Los Angeles Angels emptied the bank for. If you need evidence, look no further than the line drive home run Pujols hit in the Angels 3-0 win over the Mariners on Thursday night.

But the impressive blast held a little more significance than a simple reminder of how consistently beautiful Albert's swing is about to become. It was also a personal milestone and an all-around noteworthy accomplishment, as he became the 35th member of the 450 home run club, and the fourth-youngest to reach the mark behind only Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jimmie Foxx.

Decent company, we'd say.

(MLB.TV)As we've documented on several occasions this season, Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is a dangerous man with a baseball bat in his hands. Whether it be an unfortunate fan, or even a defenseless scoreboard some 420-plus-feet away from home plate, you simply don't want to be in the path of any baseball he connects with solidly.

In our continuing effort to keep everybody safe and sound at the ballpark, we're now going to have to revise our warnings, because we have evidence the danger doesn't only exist when the Marlins are hitting.

It now appears Stanton is just as dangerous when he's in the field, and there's a different set of people who reside in the danger zone. Specifically, his teammates. Because as Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison nearly learned the hard way on Thursday night, you don't want to be anywhere near one of his laser throws from the outfield, either.

(US Presswire)On Wednesday night, it was a traditional Dog Day at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

On Thursday night, it was D-O-Double-Gizzle Day, as in the world famous rapper and entertainer Snoop Dogg, who stopped by to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before heading off to his scheduled performance at the Horseshoe Casino in nearby Hammond, Ind.

And I must say, I came away impressed with Snoop's dedication to his craft, and the results it garnered. Especially compared to the majority of celebrity first pitches we've seen lately. Not naming names, Gary Sinise.

Not only did Snoop successfully get the ball over the plate and on the fly, he did so while displaying good balance, sound mechanics,  a very deceptive delivery. And of course he gets an A+ for showmanship, concluding the performance with an homage to Usain Bolt and Tim Tebow. 

The Juice is back for its fifth season of fun! Stop by each weekday for an ample serving of news from the action, plus great photos, stats and video highlights.

The Magnificent Mesoraco: Devin Mesoraco delivered a timely first on Thursday night. With his Reds trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning, the Reds rookie catcher deposited Kris Medlen's 2-0 pitch deep into the left field seats (just inside the foul pole) for his first career grand slam.

''That's kind of why I paused at the plate at the start,'' Mesoraco said. ''I wasn't sure it was going to stay fair, but it stayed true. It didn't tail. That's a pretty good sign for me as a hitter.''

It was a no-doubter, at least in terms of distance. And once the Reds handed the ball to their bullpen — even with Aroldis Chapman unavailable — the result was also no longer in doubt. Reds win it 6-3, completing their first four-game of the Braves in Cincinnati since 1980, and pushing them into first place in the NL Central.

All about Choo: It's not often that a hitter gets a good piece of a Justin Verlander offering. It's even rarer when a hitter gets all of one, but that's exactly what Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo did on Thursday, hammering a first inning solo home run that traveled an estimated 454 feet into Progressive Field's second deck.

Joe Smith emerges, and then retreats. (MLB.TV)The bullpen phones at Progressive Field were fully functional on Thursday afternoon, yet Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta and his bullpen still managed to mix their signals during their 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

The awkward moment occurred while the Tigers were mounting a threat against starter Justin Masterson in the seventh inning. With two men aboard and one out, Acta casually strolled to the mound to discuss strategy, and perhaps gauge how much Masterson had left in the tank as he approached 100 pitches.

Meanwhile, out in the Indians bi-level bullpen stationed in right-center field, the interpretation was that Acta's appearance signified the end of Masterson's afternoon, which is an understandable assumption. It's very rare that a manager's visit doesn't involve a pitching change. But in this case, the signal never came, and reliever Joe Smith, who had jogged down the stairs and made it about 10 yards into the outfield, was forced to make a U-turn and camp out in the lower portion of the bullpen.