For the last two days, the Boston Red Sox have not lost any games. Of course they haven’t played any either. A rainout on Wednesday night and Thursday’s scheduled off day allowed the Red Sox to regroup and Red Sox Nation a chance to relax.
Tonight, though the Red Sox will get back to the grind of baseball as old friend John Farrell brings his young Toronto Blue Jays squad to Fenway Park for four games. And for us and them, we hope it’s on to the winning side of things. They currently sit at 2-9 which happens to the be worst record in all of Major League Baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays (4-8), Minnesota Twins (4-8), Seattle Mariners (4-9), New York Mets (4-9) and Houston Astros (4-9) are next on the list.
There is news this morning out of Boston as it was learned that Adrian Gonzalez will sign a seven-year, $154 million contract extension this afternoon. This will keep Gonzalez in a Red Sox uniform through the 2018 season. With their two prized signings, Carl Crawford, being the other, they now have given out $296 million to two players. Plus with the pitching staff locked up for the foreseeable future as well as Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox should be able to compete for the coming years.
But right now, the Red Sox want to avoid the losing column as much as they can.
A four-game sweep of the Blue Jays or at least taking 3-of-4 from them this weekend, will go a long way in helping the Red Sox realize their dream of another World Series title.
We’ll be back later with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links for the day. But for now, enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.
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Time to get down to business [Boston Globe]
Pitching change works out well [Boston Globe]
Curt Young not restless [Boston Herald]
Numbers are Lack-ing [Boston Herald]
Sox pitching coach Curt Young takes slump personally [CSNNE.com]
A unique perspective from the CITGO sign [ESPN Boston]
Who’s to blame for Dice-K’s struggles? [ESPN Boston]
Video: Jayson Stark talks Sox [ESPN Boston]
Epstein on the Red Sox: ‘You don’t want to dig a hole you can’t climb out of’ [Extra Bases]
Yankees sign Red Sox castoff Place [Extra Bases]
A reminder why the Red Sox waited to lock up Adrian Gonzalez [Full Count]
Josh Beckett has a message: Jason Varitek is great, but stop with the personal catcher talk [Full Count]
Sign ’em up, Sox [Inside Track]
Calhoun’s Red Sox Fandom Kept Him Out of Yankees Stadium [NBC Connecticut]
Clay Buchholz Believes Carl Crawford’s Success Is Key for Red Sox Improvement [NESN.com]
Jason Varitek Spends Off Day Playing Wiffle Ball With Local Kids to Benefit Good Sports [NESN.com]
Red Sox to have four of first 40 draft picks [Projo Sox Blog]
A Series Matter: Red Sox-Blue Jays and “The Lefties Are Coming!” [Projo Sox Blog]
For Carl Crawford, learning the wall is a Monster challenge [Providence Journal]
Resurgence will depend on starting rotation [RedSox.com]
Buchholz surprises fans with free tickets [RedSox.com]
For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSNNE, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.
Photo credit: AP Photo
