By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, May 6, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Norfolk Admirals, 4-3, Sunday night in Game Three of their second-round playoff series at the XL Center. Mike Angelidis had the game-winning goal for Norfolk, which has now won two straight against the Whale in the series. Casey Wellman scored twice for the Whale.

The Whale trail the Admirals in their best-of-seven series, two games to one, with Game Four coming up Monday night in Hartford at 7:00 PM.

“I thought we had a good start, I thought we showed good resolve at the end of the game, and we had a few mistakes in the second period that were pretty costly,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “We’ve got this one put behind us, time to focus on tomorrow night’s game and come out flying tomorrow night.”

The Whale struck first, as Wellman blocked a pass by Norfolk’s J.P. Cote an blasted a shot from the right-wing side past Norfolk goaltender Dustin Tokarski (19 saves) for the 1-0 advantage 5:20 into the opening frame. The goal came unassisted on the Whale’s first power-play opportunity of the game.

Ondrej Palat would tie the game for the Admirals just 2:41 later, as Norfolk broke up a Whale power-play chance. Palat emerged from the Connecticut end with the puck and went in on a shorthanded breakaway, deking out Whale goaltender Cam Talbot (26 saves) with a move to the backhand for the equalizer.

Connecticut would take the lead again with 2:38 left in the first period, enabling them to make it a 2-1 game after one period. Andre Deveaux managed to push a loose puck past Tokarski after winger Marek Hrivik muscled the puck to the front of the Norfolk cage. The goal was Deveaux’s second in as many games.

The Admirals would tie the game back up at two with six seconds remaining on a second-period power-play, as Alex Killorn snapped one from the right circle past Talbot. Killorn’s third of the postseason was assisted by Mike Kostka and Alexandre Picard at 11:31.

Norfolk took a 3-2 lead just 45 seconds later, as Trevor Smith sent his third goal of the playoffs past Talbot to give the Admirals their first lead of the game. Smith’s goal was a deflection of a shot by Mark Barberio, and was also assisted by AHL MVP and Rookie of the Year Cory Conacher.

Angelidis extended the Admirals’ lead to 4-2 with 2:20 left in the second period, as he converted a pass from Michel Ouellet past the outstretched leg of Talbot. Radko Gudas also assisted on the score, Angelidis’ first point of the playoffs and the eventual game-winner.

Wellman would get the Whale to within one with his second goal of the night 1:06 into the third, as Connecticut scored their second power-play tally of the game. Wellman’s slapshot from just inside the Norfolk blue line beat Tokarski, with assists going to Kris Newbury and Tim Erixon.

The Whale, however, could not even the score despite several close chances during a last-minute scrum in the Admirals end, and find themselves down for the first time in the series.

The series resumes Monday night at 7:00 p.m., as the Whale host the Admirals in Game Four of their second-round series at the XL Center (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com, live video streaming at www.ahllive.com).  Game Five is this Wednesday, May 9, a Whale home game that will be played at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT at 7:00.  Tickets for Game Four are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, and Game Five tickets are available at the Webster Bank Arena box office.  Tickets for both Games Four and Five can be purchased on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Playoff ticket packages are also available that include tickets to all possible home playoff games.  To speak to a Whale account executive about a playoff ticket package, call (860) 728-3366.  More information is available at www.ctwhale.com.

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Note: Pitching matchups are subject to change

Monday, May 7 @ 8:10 PM

Felix Doubront, LHP (1-1, 5.19) vs Jonathan Sanchez, LHP (1-1, 5.24)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Gameday Audio

Tuesday, May 8 @ 8:10 PM

Daniel Bard, RHP (2-3, 4.38) vs Danny Duffy, LHP (2-2, 3.57)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Gameday Audio

Wednesday, May 10 @ 8:10 PM

Jon Lester, LHP (1-2, 4.62) vs Bruce Chen, LHP (0-4, 4.98)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Gameday Audio

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

When Kevin Youkilis went on the 15-day DL with a bad back, the Boston Red Sox brought up their top prospect in Will Middlebrooks to play third base while he was out.

After gathering three hits, two of them doubles, in his first two games, Middlebrooks sat out Saturday's game with a tight hamstring. But on Sunday, he made his return to the lineup and had the biggest moment so far of his young career.

He finally hit his first MLB home run and he did it in style as it was a grand slam against Baltimore Orioles starter Tommy Hunter that tied the game up at 5-5.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

After being cooked yesterday afternoon, the Boston Red Sox look to salvage the finale of a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Historic Fenway Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Orioles television market, you can catch the game on MASN. If you can't catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Clay Buchholz looks to turn around his struggles in his sixth start of 2012. Despite his trials this season, Buchholz is 3-1 with a 8.89 ERA in his five starts. He took the loss in his only start against the Orioles in 2011 when he allowed four runs in 6.2 innings of work. Overall in his career, Buchholz has made 10 appearances (nine starts) against the O's and is 5-3 with a 3.26 ERA.

Tommy Hunter is making his sixth start of the season for the vastly improved Orioles. In his previous five starts, Hunter is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA. He made two starts against the Red Sox in 2011 and picked up two no decisions to go along with a 3.86 ERA. Overall in his career, Hunter has made six starts against the local nine and is 2-1 with a 6.52 ERA. Three of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA.

Click on the read more button below to see today's lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight and day if you're on the home page.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at how the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox fare each night. Game story and box score links as well as links to team rosters, team stats and league standings can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

We’ve found out about the New England Patriots roster moves in a variety of ways in the Bill Belichick era.  They’ve come from the team via release or website, sometimes Belichick will announce the roster moves during a press briefing, players sometimes will tweet they have signed and then there’s the good old agent calls the media route.  But never in the time Belichick has run the team have we gotten roster information from Peyton Manning, until now.

Seems Manning during a chat with some media let it out that his former Indianapolis Colts teammate RB Joseph Addai will sign with New England.

The Patriots had a shot at Addai once before in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft but decided to take RB Laurence Maroney with the 21st pick and pass on the LSU running back.

Addai was then taken 30th by Indianapolis and has gone on to rush for 4,453 yards and 39 touchdowns in six seasons with the Colts.  He was released on March 9 by Indianapolis along with TE Dallas Clark, S Melvin Bullitt and LB Gary Bracket all former mainstays of the very good Colts teams of the 2000’s.

He is expected to compete for time with 2nd year running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, as well as Danny Woodhead.  With fullbacks Eric Kettani, Spencer Larson and Tony Fiammetta on the roster New England now has 7 running backs on the roster plus a decision to make on long time Patriot Kevin Faulk, who is a free agent.

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photo credit: Getty Images

4-8 at Fenway Park is pretty pathetic if you ask me. And no, I haven't been to Historic Fenway Park yet this year so you can't blame me for the Boston Red Sox record at home so far in 2012.

The Red Sox were facing a rookie pitcher again who they had never seen before and for once they did a pretty good job. They were able to get four runs off of Baltimore Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen but it still wasn't good enough for a Red Sox victory.

This game came down to the bullpens and last night, the Orioles bullpen was better. Actually, their bullpen has been one of the best in baseball in this young 2012 season.

After Chen allowed five hits over five innings of work, five pitchers out of the Orioles bullpen allowed just three hits and two walks over the next eight innings. On the contrary, six members of the Red Sox bullpen allowed five hits three walks over the final seven innings after Jon Lester gave them six decent innings.. But more importantly, the local nine's bullpen allowed three runs.

I say decent innings for Lester because he wasn't at his best nor his worst. His innings were servicable. His problem was that each time the Red Sox gave him the lead, he would give it right back.

After Cody Ross scored on a passed ball in the 2nd, Mark Reynolds tied it up in the 3rd with a solo home run. After the Red Sox got two in the 3rd, the Orioles got them right back in the 4th. Lester did however leave the game with a 4-3 lead. Vicente Padilla made sure Lester's career mark of 14-0 against the Orioles stayed in tact when he allowed the tying run in the 7th.

While Franklin Morales didn't pitch all that badly, he was the one in the bullpen who gave up the two runs. But to me, the start of the Red Sox bullpen was their closer Alfredo Aceves.

He ended up going 2.2 innings and allowing two hits while striking out six. At one point, he had struck out five straight guys and ended up with all six strikeouts in his first two innings. He did exactly what a closer is supposed to do at home when entering the game tied. He kept them in it.

 But with the Orioles bullpen pitching as well as it did, the Red Sox offense couldn't get a thing done.

Adrian Gonzalez broke out of his 0-for-17 slump with a three hit effort. Dustin Pedroia added two hits and an RBI. Cody Ross added a hit and a RBI while Darnell McDonald also knocked in a run. Will Middlebrooks and pinch-hitter Ryan Sweeney had the other hits for the Red Sox.

This is definitely a much improved Orioles team from years past. They aren't the team that will roll over and play dead like they have in the past. This is a team that has the best bullpen in baseball (numbers wise) right now and there offense is getting the timely hits. That's why they're sitting closer to first place than the Red Sox are.

With last night's game going 13 innings, both teams will be tired.

Hopefully, it's the Orioles who ended up being a little more lethargic than the Red Sox and we see the three-game losing streak come to an end.

To see today's lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight as well as the morning by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at how the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox fare each night. Game story and box score links as well as links to team rosters, team stats and league standings can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.