After falling last night, the Boston Red Sox look to get back on track tonight in the middle game of a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and 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.

Aaron Cook looks to get the Red Sox back on the winning side of things in his 10th start of 2012. In his previous nine starts, Cook is 3-5 with a 4.70 ERA. His lone career start against the Orioles came earlier this season when he took the loss after allowing six runs in 2.2 innings of work back on May 5th. You may remember that start as it was when Cook split his knee open covering home plate. Tonight marks his first career start at Camden Yards.

Miguel Gonzalez looks to keep his O’s squad rolling in his eighth start (11th appearance) of the 2012. The former Red Sox farmhand is 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA in his previous 10 appearances (seven starts). His lone career appearance against the Red Sox came earlier this season when he allowed one run in four innings of work back on June 7th.

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

Here are today’s lineups:

57-60		64-53
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Nick Markakis	RF
2. Carl Crawford	LF	2. J.J. Hardy	SS
3. Dustin Pedroia	2B	3. Nate McLouth	LF
4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	4. Adam Jones	CF
5. Cody Ross	DH	5. Matt Wieters	C
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	6. Chris Davis	DH
7. Mike Aviles	SS	7. Mark Reynolds	1B
8. Scott Podsednik	RF	8. Manny Machado	3B
9. Nick Punto	3B	9. Omar Quintanilla	2B
Aaron Cook	SP	Miguel Gonzalez	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:

NOTES:

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Yard Birds [boston globe]

Shoppach is traded to Mets [boston globe]

Valentine is in a no-win situation [boston globe]

Josh Beckett undone by big inning [boston herald]

Dustin Pedroia: I’m not pushing out Bobby V [boston herald]

Ryan Lavarnway on stage as Kelly Shoppach departs [boston herald]

Red Sox legacy a tribute to Johnny Pesky [boston herald]

Sounds like a twist of fate [boston herald]

Josh Beckett’s not alone in losing [boston herald]

Bobby Valentine continues to talk himself into trouble [boston herald]

John Henry: No one asked for Bobby Valentine’s firing [boston herald]

Ortiz: Report a distraction before game [rob bradford – weei.com]

Gonzalez: Source on story was ‘inaccurate’ [rob bradford – weei.com]

David Ortiz unlikely to play this weekend against Yankees [clubhouse insider]

Ochoa dismisses sunflower seed video as no big deal [clubhouse insider]

Sox tailspin continues through Baltimore in 7-1 loss [csn new england]

The Red Sox soap opera [csn new england]

Bailey makes Red Sox debut; other notes [csn new england]

Ortiz mourns loss of ‘Mr. Johnny’ [csn new england]

Lavarnway looking to make the most of Shoppach deal [csn new england]

Pedroia denies trying to get Valentine fired [csn new england]

Beckett’s struggles continue in another disheartening performance [csn new england]

Henry: No one asked for Valentine to be fired [csn new england]

Ortiz still out of the lineup, won’t play against Yankees [csn new england]

Pedroia: ‘I don’t think Bobby should be fired’ [espn boston]

Bard (four walks) has another rough night [espn boston]

Beckett: ‘It would be nice to win’ [espn boston]

Timing off as Sox squander chances [espn boston]

Schilling: Bobby V ‘toothless from day one’ [espn boston]

Olney: Henry perplexed by Sox discontent [espn boston]

Passan: Just the tip of the iceberg [espn boston]

Olney: Give Cherington the keys to Sox [espn boston]

Video: Latest Sox discord ‘isn’t a surprise’ [espn boston]

Olney: Bobby V can’t fix this [espn boston]

Bobby V: ‘Totally responsible’ for Sox record [espn boston]

Francona: Drama tends to spiral in Boston [espn boston]

Gonzalez joins chorus: Report inaccurate [espn boston]

OTL: Sox problems go beyond Bobby V [espn boston]

ATH: How do Sox handle Valentine? [espn boston]

Pedroia upset with Yahoo! story [extra bases]

In the latest Sox soap opera, blame is widespread [extra bases]

John Henry answers Yahoo! story [extra bases]

Valentine appreciates Henry’s clarification [extra bases]

Closing Time: Orioles keep slide going for Red Sox, Josh Beckett [full count]

Nuggetpalooza: The Red Sox and squandered opportunities [full count]

Bobby Valentine on The Big Show: ‘I go through things with open eyes’ [full count]

Ryan Lavarnway Will Get Chance to Capitalize on Increased Playing Time With Kelly Shoppach Gone [nesn.com]

Josh Beckett’s Season Still Headed in Downward Trend After Yet Another Shaky Outing [nesn.com]

Red Sox Cough Up Chance to Gain Ground in Wild Card Race Against Orioles [nesn.com]

Red Sox Players’ Underperforming Comes Into Focus on Day Where Manager Gets All the Blame [nesn.com]

Jerry Remy Reveals Details of Conversation With Dustin Pedroia About Bobby Valentine Story (Video) [nesn.com]

Dustin Pedroia Scorching at Plate, Will Try to Right Boston’s Ship With Adrian Gonzalez Against Orioles [nesn.com]

John Henry Responds to Yahoo! Sports Story, Also Calls Season ‘Unacceptable’ [nesn.com]

Kelly Shoppach Confirms ‘Disconnect in Communication’ Within Red Sox Organization Upon Joining Mets [nesn.com]

Will Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway Start More Games at Catcher the Rest of the Season? [nesn.com]

Mike Aviles, Pedro Ciriaco Could Both See Time at Third Base in Will Middlebrooks’ Absence [don orsillo – nesn.com]

Blame Beckett, the Texas wimp [projo sox blog]

Buchholz feeling as good as ever [projo sox blog]

Ortiz down for the next few days [projo sox blog]

Doubront on track to return next week [projo sox blog]

Podsednik starting in RF for first time since ’09 [projo sox blog]

After having turn skipped, Cook returns to rotation [redsox.com]

Fans: Pesky was ambassador to game [redsox.com]

Past, present Sox mourn death of Pesky [redsox.com]

Even with rest, Ortiz still sore, no timetable for return [redsox.com]

Shoppach trade provides opportunity for Lavarnway [redsox.com]

Bailey activated from DL; will set up for now [redsox.com]

Henry: July meeting not about dismissing Valentine [redsox.com]

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

photo credits: getty images, ap photo

editor’s note: My apologies for not being able to write this morning about last night’s game and of course, the Yahoo! Sports report that came out yesterday. The brake line went on my car and I had to replace it right away. I did put in the links from the overnight in here as well.

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 the other sports the student-athletes engage in. 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.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

Preseason 2012 top 25 countdown: No. 14 Sio Moore [andrea adelson – espn.com]

Tuesday Practice News And Notes Including The Return Of Quarterback Scott McCummings [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Paul Pasqualoni talks about Mike Osiecki’s situation [jim fuller – new haven register]

McCummings glad to be back [jim fuller – new haven register]

Football Opens Practice to Fans and Media on Tuesday [uconnhuskies.com]

What UConn’s Brown and Jones didn’t know, they learned on the go [ct post]

UConn football notebook: Osiecki leaves team ‘to go home for a couple of days’ [ct post]

McCummings Is Back, But A Bit Rusty [hartford courant]

Michael Smith to wear ‘6’ for Jasper Howard [new haven register]

UConn Football Notebook — Seymour’s Osiecki leaves UConn football team [the hour]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Asjha Jones Says There Was Big UConn Feel In London [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn Freshmen Ready To Roll For USA Basketball [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Charles, Jones Pose For Pictures, Discuss Their Golden Journey [rich elliott – ct post]

Tina Charles, Asjha Jones reflect on Olympic experience [jim fuller – new haven register]

Jefferson, Stewart and Tuck Travel to Puerto Rico With USA Basketball U18 Team [uconnhuskies.com]

Jones, Charles survived Olympic pressure by doing their part [ct post]

Tina Charles, Asjha Jones savor their golden moment in London [new haven register]

Other UConn related links

Mike Aresco, UConn Law ’76, Named BIG EAST Commissioner [uconnhuskies.com]

Field Hockey. Field Hockey Picked to Win BIG EAST, Three Huskies Named to Preseason Team [uconnhuskies.com]

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

editor’s note: My apologies for not posting this in the morning. The brake line went on my Jeep so I needed to get that replaced right away.

After splitting a four-game set in Cleveland, the Boston Red Sox continue their 10-game road trip in Baltimore. Tonight, they’ll kick off the first game of a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and 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. And if you don’t live in either market you’re in luck as the MLB Network will have coverage of the game as well. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Josh Beckett looks to follow the success of his fellow starters in his 20th start of 2012. In his previous 19 starts, Beckett is 5-9 with a 4.97 ERA. He took the loss in his only start of 2012 against the O’s after allowing two runs in eight innings of work back on June 6th. He’s made 19 career starts against the Orioles and is 7-6 with a 4.12 ERA. 12 of those starts have come at Camden Yards where he is 5-3 with a 3.61 ERA.

Rookie Wei-Yin Chen makes his 24th start of 2012 for the still relevant Orioles. In his 23 previous starts, Chen is 10-7 with a 3.79 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Red Sox this season and is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA (4 ER/12 IP).

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

Here are today’s lineups:

57-59		63-52
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Nick Markakis	RF
2. Pedro Ciriaco	DH	2. J.J. Hardy	SS
3. Dustin Pedroia	2B	3. Nate McLouth	LF
4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	4. Adam Jones	CF
5. Cody Ross	RF	5. Matt Wieters	C
6. Ryan Lavarnway	C	6. Chris Davis	DH
7. Carl Crawford	LF	7. Mark Reynolds	1B
8. Mike Aviles	SS	8. Manny Machado	3B
9. Danny Valencia	3B	9. Omar Quintanilla	2B
Josh Beckett	SP	Wei-Yin Chen	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:

NOTES: The Red Sox have traded catcher Kelly Shoppach to the New York Mets for a player to be named later. Taking his spot on the 25-man and 40-man rosters is reliever Andrew Bailey who was activated from the 60-day disabled list.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Exclusive: Red Sox stars blast manager Bobby Valentine in heated July meeting with ownership [yahoo! sports]

How Ben Cherington and Peter Frates turned a 9 into a 3 [boston herald]

Gonzalez, Valentine respond to report [rob bradford – weei.com]

Red Sox trade Kelly Shoppach to Mets for player to be named [clubhouse insider]

Bobby V, Gonzalez discuss July 26 meeting detailed in Yahoo! report [clubhouse insider]

Red Sox players scrambling amid reports of team meeting [csn new england]

Ortiz giving sore Achilles another day of rest [csn new england]

Beckett’s struggles tied to fastball [espn boston]

Bailey activated, won’t be Sox closer for now [espn boston]

Dan Duquette on D&C: Johnny Pesky was ‘great ambassador’ for Red Sox [full count]

Red Sox hope Andrew Bailey can stabilize bullpen [full count]

Red Sox hope Andrew Bailey can stabilize bullpen [full count]

Terry Francona on M&M: Johnny Pesky was the ‘greatest ambassador for the Red Sox you could ever have’ [full count]

Red Sox Need Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia to Stay Hot Upon Opening Series With Orioles [nesn.com]

Will Andrew Bailey Finish This Season as the Red Sox Closer? [nesn.com]

Andrew Bailey Back on Red Sox Roster, Ready to Pitch in Set-Up Role While Alfredo Aceves Handles Closing Duties [nesn.com]

More reactions to Pesky’s passing [projo sox blog]

Red Sox to honor Pesky on uniform [projo sox blog]

Bailey finally in uniform [projo sox blog]

Beckett, Red Sox look to gain ground on rival Orioles [redsox.com]

If Red Sox have a rally in them, this week is crucial [redsox.com]

Posnanski: No one loved baseball more than Pesky [redsox.com]

Sox players, owners met in July about Valentine [redsox.com]

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

photo credits: getty images, ap photo

It was a sad day yesterday in Red Sox Nation as we learned about the passing of “Mr. Red Sox” Johnny Pesky. And with the Boston Red Sox on the road right now, there will be no tribute at the Fens until a later date.

I do expect at the very least that the Baltimore Orioles will hold a moment of silence before the game to pay their respects.

As for the business of baseball, this is a very important three-game series for the Red Sox.

They’ll enter this three-game set with the Orioles trailing them by 5.5 games in the AL East standings as well as for the second wild card. The two teams will play each other nine more times this season which includes these three games.

So realistically for the Red Sox to catch the Orioles, you would think they need to go 7-2 or 8-1 over the course of those final nine games the two teams play. While that would be great, we have to face facts that it probably won’t happen. I won’t say never since baseball can be a funny game.

What I do know is this though.

The Red Sox can make a statement that they aren’t out of anything yet by going into Camden Yards and sweeping the Orioles. However, being swept by the Orioles would probably end any hopes of the Red Sox making the playoffs. Like I said, I’ll never say never until the Red Sox are officially eliminated.

I think if the Red Sox can come out of this series at 2-1 and then go into New York and take two-of-three from the Yanks, they still have a fighting chance.

The Red Sox have been a decent road team all season as they are above .500 at 28-25. It’s at the Fens where they’ve struggled as they are 29-34. They’ll only have 18 games at home so if the road play can continue, we just can’t rule out the local nine.

It will be interesting though to watch. They have the talent.

It’s a matter of them having the will and catching a few breaks along the way.

It all starts tonight with Josh Beckett who we can only hope was inspired by the outings of Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester in Cleveland earlier in the road trip.

We’ll be back later with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. So for now, let’s take a look at the overnight links from the media.

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Ortiz injury keeps Lavarnway as odd man in [boston globe]

Ownership’s fault? Not buying it [boston globe]

Johnny Pesky, lasting spirit of the Sox family, dies at 92 [boston globe]

Johnny Pesky’s loss felt at annual Oldtime Game [boston herald]

Andrew Bailey set for debut, not worried about role [boston herald]

Tough to rally ’round these Red Sox [boston herald]

Johnny Pesky leaves big legacy [boston herald]

Bobby Valentine won’t budge [boston herald]

Sunday’s win a reminder of what might have been [csn new england]

Bailey could be activated Tuesday [csn new england]

‘We’ll never see another’ like Johnny Pesky [csn new england]

Reactions to the passing of Johnny Pesky [csn new england]

State of the Sox notebook: August 14, 2012 [csn new england]

Sox put faith in another knuckleballer [espn boston]

Varitek: ‘I’m almost speechless’ [espn boston]

Bailey expected to join Sox on Tuesday [espn boston]

Hard-to-figure Boston Red Sox in key series at Baltimore Orioles [espn boston]

Johnny Pesky connected generations of Red Sox fans and players [espn boston]

Johnny Pesky’s devotion to Boston Red Sox never wavered [espn boston]

Red Sox coach Jerry Royster enjoys daughter’s budding acting career [full count]

A different look at Johnny Pesky [full count]

Red Sox players past and present react to Johnny Pesky’s passing [full count]

Adrian Gonzalez Doing Reverse of 2011 Season and Other Thoughts From the Week in Baseball [nesn.com]

Maria Menounos, Jenny Dell Team Up to Mock Dustin Pedroia in ‘$#*! Pedroia Says’ (Video) [nesn.com]

Red Sox, Phillies Cautionary Tales of Big, Long-Term Contracts in Luxury Tax Era [nesn.com]

Johnny Pesky Remembered by Peter Gammons as Great Ambassador for Red Sox, Baseball (Video) [nesn.com]

Dustin Pedroia Understands Importance of Staying Hydrated in Long Baseball Season [nesn.com]

Inbox: Is Boston capable of making a run? [redsox.com]

Pesky deservedly is most beloved Red Sox great [redsox.com]

Duquette: Sox rotation ‘tough to overcome’ [alex speier – weei.com]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England,  ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.

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

photo credit: getty images

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 the other sports the student-athletes engage in. 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.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

Ryan Phalen Updates Maryland Tailgate Information [desmond conner – hartford courant]

QB Michael Nebrich Transfers From UConn To Fordham [hartford courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Kalana Greene Proud Of Tina Charles [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Player Profile: Enosch Wolf [uconn huskies basketball]

Other UConn related links

M. Soccer. Alvarez and Blake Named To Hermann Trophy Watch List [uconnhuskies.com]

BIG EAST Retains Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures For Upcoming Media Negotiation [bigeast.org]

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

Here’s the press release from the Boston Red Sox announcing that Adrian Gonzalez along with Baltimore Orioles rookie Manny Machado have been the American League Co-Players of the Week for the week ending 8/12/12:

Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado have been named the American League Co-Players of the Week for the period ending August 12th. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

Gonzalez batted .393 (11-for-28) with seven doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI and six runs scored in seven games to win his second weekly honor of the season (also for week ending July 22nd) and the seventh of his nine-year career. The left-handed-hitting slugger led the Majors in doubles and RBI. Among his A.L. counterparts, Gonzalez finished second in total bases (24), tied for third in hits and was fourth in slugging percentage (.857). On Monday, the 30-year-old went 3-for-5 with an RBI-double and two run-scoring singles as Boston defeated the A.L. West-leading Texas Rangers, 9-2, at Fenway Park. Gonzalez teamed with Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford and Dustin Pedroia to go 11-for-18 with eight doubles, eight RBI and six runs scored in the win. In Wednesday’s finale with Texas, the San Diego native notched a season-best three doubles with three RBI in a 10-9 loss. Wrapping up the week on Sunday, the top overall pick in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft (by Florida) went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, four RBI and two runs scored as Boston defeated the Cleveland Indians, 14-1, at Progressive Field. Gonzalez’s week comes as part of a second-half offensive surge as he leads the A.L. in batting average (.393), RBI (35) and slugging percentage (.673) since play resumed after the All-Star break on July 13th.

Machado batted .375 (6-for-16) with a double, a triple, three homers, seven RBI and five runs scored in four games to win his first career A.L. Player of the Week honor. The 20-year-old has made a splash since making his Major League debut on August 9th against the Kansas City Royals, hitting safely in each of his first four games. The Miami native tripled for his first career hit in his debut on Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. On Friday, the Orioles’ top prospect went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI to lead the O’s to a 7-1 win over the Royals at home. Machado became the youngest Oriole since Jim Palmer in 1965 to homer, and he also became the youngest in Club history to record a multi-homer game, breaking Boog Powell’s 1962 mark by 223 days. Rounding out his inaugural week, the third overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft played a key role in Sunday matchup against Kansas City, launching a two-run homer in the second inning as the O’s went on to win, 5-3.

Other outstanding performances last week included New York Yankees infielder Eric Chavez (.563, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1.063 SLG); right-hander Jered Weaver (1-1, 1.69 ERA, four-hit SHO with 0 BB and 9 SO at Oakland on August 6th) of the Angels; Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander (1-0, 0.60 ERA, 15.0 IP, 0 HR, 1 BB, 22 SO); and Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (2-0, 2.45 ERA, 14.2 IP, 0 BB, 18 SO).

The co-winners of the American League Player of the Week, Adrian Gonzalez and Manny Machado, will each be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.

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

photo credit: ap photo