Second Thoughts

Lackey full of innuendo about Cruz

Baltimore Orioles' Nelson Cruz rounds third base on a solo home run in the fifth inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Saturday, July 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Baltimore Orioles' Nelson Cruz rounds third base on a solo home run in the fifth inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Saturday, July 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey is not one to back down when it comes to talking about players who have used performance-enhancing drugs.

Lackey allowed 5 runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday night at Fenway Park.

After the game, Lackey was critical of Nelson Cruz, the Orioles outfielder who was was suspended 50 games last season for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.

Cruz was 3 for 3 with a home run and a double against Lackey.

"I'm not even going to comment on him. I've got nothing to say about him," Lackey told The Boston Globe. "There's things I would like to say but I'm not going to. You guys [in the media] forget pretty conveniently about stuff."

Red Sox Manager John Farrell said Cruz "looked strong" at the plate.

Cruz didn't hear Lackey's comments.

"What I care is about my teammates, what they think about me," Cruz said. "When you go to ballparks and beat other teams, they are not going to be happy regardless of what you do. ... Everybody is free to talk."

However, Baltimore Manager Buck Showalter made a not-so-veiled reference to Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz being tied to drug use in 2003.

"Sometimes we need to check our own backyard before talking about someone else's," Showalter said.

Entering Sunday, Cruz was batting .286 with 27 home runs and 70 RBI. He was tied for the major-league lead in home runs with Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu and in RBI with Toronto first baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Cupcake rumors

Caroline's Cupcakes, a small bakery in Ohio, posted on its Facebook page on Saturday to "report" that free agent LeBron James will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after spending the past four seasons with the Miami Heat.

"Just texting with a friend who is directly tied in with LeBron and his camp, and he swears on his life #TheReturn to Cleveland is a done deal," Caroline's Cupcakes wrote. "Per his sources, calls have already been made to other current Cavaliers to spread the news. If this is true, and like anything on the internet, take that with a grain of salt. Are you ready to get out your old jersey and welcome LeBron home?!?"

James and other free agents can officially sign their contracts Thursday.

Forget it

It will take Oakland Athletics fans a few games to get used to spelling Jeff Samardzija's name.

The newest Athletics pitcher pitched his first game for the AL West leaders Sunday and a couple of fans honored him with a sign, with the following four names crossed out:

"Samardga. Samardja. Samarjah. Samardzaj."

Finally, the A's fans had enough and just wrote "Shark", the right-hander's nickname.

Short, sweet and the correct spelling.

They said it

m MLB.com Houston Astros beat writer Brian McTaggart: "Trout lets Bass off the hook and flies out to center."

m The satirical sports website SportsPickle.com, via Twitter: "Sources: LeBron will likely sign with 1 of 30 NBA teams."

SPORTS QUIZ

What school did Oakland Athletics pitcher Jeff Samardzija play football for?

ANSWER

Samardzija played wide receiver at Notre Dame.

Sports on 07/07/2014

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