I’m pretty sure this isn’t how the Boston Red Sox expected this four-game series to go with the Minnesota Twins. I know it’s not what I expected.

Skipper Bobby Valentine said the goal for the rest of the season was to win each series for the rest of the year. But after last night’s 6-5 loss to the Twins that won’t be happening in this series. The best the Red Sox can hope for now is to split this series with the lowly Twins.

After a loss, Felix Doubront has been solid for the Red Sox this season. Unfortunately though he let his emotions get the best of him when the strike zone calls from home plate umpire Mark Wegner didn’t go his way. And it ultimately cost him a 5-1 lead the offense had given him. Doubront will learn as he gets more experience not to let his emotions get the best of him.

For the offense, it was a night of wasted chances.

They left 10 runners on base as a team and were just 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position. On a night where they had 14 hits and with the Twins committing three errors, that’s unacceptable.

The one time they were able to take advantage of a Twins error came in the 3rd inning when Justin Morneau dropped a foul ball off the bat of Carl Crawford. Ulitmately, Crawford made Morneau pay as he blasted a three-run homer off of Brian Duensing to give the Red Sox a 5-1 lead. But that would be the last time the Red Sox would cross the plate.

Look, all the talent in the world isn’t going to win you a championship. You think it would but when that talent doesn’t come all together at once, that’s not going to happen.

We can make all the excuses we want for this team. The players can do the same. In the end though, this team is probably not as good as we think or even they think they are.

They are just mediocre. And that’s evidenced by their 53-54 record.

We’ll be back later with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. So for now, let’s take at look at the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

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

Red Sox blow a four-run lead in loss to Twins [boston globe]

Beckett to miss start; Morales to go Sunday [boston globe]

Sox can’t hold lead, fall in 10th [boston herald]

As usual, Sox have us at a loss [boston herald]

Conditioned for failure [boston herald]

Josh Beckett to sit one out [boston herald]

Curt Schilling still brings the heat [boston herald]

Francona downplays clubhouse get-together [rob bradford – weei.com]

The Red Sox have found themselves with an uneasy reality [rob bradford – weei.com]

Salty absent from park due to ear infection [rob bradford – weei.com]

Frustration builds as Sox fall in extras, 6-5 [csn new england]

Questionable defensive play costs Sox [csn new england]

Ross: “We’re treading water” [csn new england]

Frustration gets better of Doubront [csn new england]

Sox offense fails to shift gears late in game [csn new england]

Merloni: Varitek could make good manager [csn new england]

Merloni: Don’t see ‘respect’ among Red Sox [csn new england]

Bobby V dismisses recent flaps [espn boston]

Tito: Didn’t think visit was big deal [espn boston]

Ex-tailback Bobby V. talked to Silas Redd’s family [espn boston]

Rapid reaction: Twins 6, Red Sox 5 [espn boston]

For John Henry, the next step in this dreary Sox saga must be getting obvious [espn boston]

Curt Schilling on D&C: ‘I’m taking a swing at [‘Nice inning, kid’] comment’ [full count]

Closing Time: Red Sox fail to capitalize on chances, lose to Twins 6-5 in 10 innings [full count]

Cody Ross on Darin Mastroianni’s 10th inning double: ‘I feel like I should have caught it’ [full count]

Bobby Valentine Brushes Off Curt Schilling’s Criticisms on Day of Pitcher’s Red Sox Hall of Fame Induction [nesn.com]

Daisuke Matsuzaka Looks Good in Bullpen Session, Will Increase Pitch Count in Next Rehab Start [nesn.com]

Red Sox Trend of Missed Opportunities Further Proof Team Needs More Than Elite Talent to Succeed [nesn.com]

Red Sox Cough Up Momentum, Sum Up ‘Story of the Season’ With Another Disappointment [nesn.com]

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Was Unavailable to Pinch Hit for Red Sox Because of ‘Big Ear Infection’ [nesn.com]

Salty misses game with ear infection [redsox.com]

Schilling among Red Sox Hall of Fame inductees [redsox.com]

Papi unlikely to play this weekend; Aviles returns [redsox.com]

Bailey’s second rehab outing goes smoothly [redsox.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.

And if you must check out the enemy news, be sure to head over to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, Twins Target.

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

Opening camp: UConn [andrea adelson – espn.com]

UConn Football First 2012 Preseason Practice Is In The Books [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Commitment: Cameron Stapleton, Tight End, Brooklyn, NY [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Pasqualoni breaks down positional battles [jim fuller – new haven register]

Whitmer talks about first practice as UConn’s starting QB [jim fuller – new haven register]

Terry Baltimore Cup Opening Round Matchup No. 4: Robbie Frey can fly vs. Lawrence Wilson’s win-sealing pick [the uconn blog]

Football Opens Preseason Camp [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn giving Whitmer chance to run offense [ct post]

Starting QB In Place, Paul Pasqualoni Likes The Look Of Things [hartford courant]

Chandler Whitmer glad to get the extra reps [new haven register]

It’s Whitmer’s job to lose at UConn [the day]

UConn football team opens practice [the hour]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn Trio Leads Team USA to 88-61 Win over the Czech Republic [uconnhuskies.com]

Geno Auriemma most popular guy in state [ct post]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game Set For Saturday [uconnhuskies.com]

Gay Honored For Off-Court Contributions [hartford courant]

Jerome Dyson still heeding Jim Calhoun’s advice [new haven register]

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

After being shutout 5-0 last night, the Boston Red Sox look to even up the series in the second game of a four-game set with the Minnesota Twins at historic Fenway Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Twins television market, you can catch the game on FOX Sports North. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Felix Doubront takes the hill for the 21st time in 2012. In his previous 20 starts, Doubront is 10-5 with a 4.37 ERA. Tonight will mark the first time Doubront has faced the Twins in his career.

Brian Duensing makes just his sixth start (39th appearance though) this season for the Twins. In his previous 38 appearances (five starts), Duensing is 2-6 with a 4.53 ERA. He’s made one appearance against the Red Sox this season and retired the only two batters he faced back on April 23rd. He’s made four career appearances (one start) against the local nine and is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA (2 ER/5 IP). Two of those apperances have come at the Fens where he has no record with a 5.40 ERA (1 ER/1.2 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:

45-60		53-53
1. Denard Span	CF	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Ben Revere	RF	2. Dustin Pedroia	2B
3. Joe Mauer	C	3. Cody Ross	RF
4. Josh Willingham	DH	4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
5. Justin Morneau	1B	5. Ryan Lavarnway	DH
6. Danny Valencia	3B	6. Will Middlebrooks	3B
7. Darin Mastroianni	LF	7. Carl Crawford	LF
8. Brian Dozier	SS	8. Kelly Shoppach	C
9. Jamey Carroll	2B	9. Mike Aviles	SS
Brian Duensing	SP	Felix Doubront	SP

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

NOTES:

REFRESH OR CHECK BACK OFTEN AS MORE LINKS WILL BE ADDED BEFORE GAMETIME IF/WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND WILL BE BOLDED

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

Morales will start Sunday in place of Beckett [rob bradford – weei.com]

Source: Red Sox weren’t team to claim Lee [rob bradford – weei.com]

Red Sox haven’t talked Lowe with Tribe [rob bradford – weei.com]

Josh Beckett won’t pitch Sunday; Red Sox hopeful he will avoid DL [clubhouse insider]

Schilling critical of Sox communication [csn new england]

Schilling: Valentine’s end won’t be pretty [espn boston]

Sox try to get over .500 vs. Twins [espn boston]

Morales to start for Beckett on Sunday [espn boston]

For the Red Sox, history in the making [extra bases]

Red Sox induct Schilling, Barrett, Burks, others into hall of fame [extra bases]

Beckett scratched for Sunday, but not on DL [extra bases]

Ortiz works out, but not returning this weekend [extra bases]

Bobby Valentine just adding to Red Sox dysfunction [tony massarotti – boston globe]

Bobby Valentine’s Jab at Buster Olney Conjures Up Memories of Some of Sports’ Best Media Tussles (Gallery) [nesn.com]

Franklin Morales to Start in Place of Josh Beckett on Sunday Against Twins [nesn.com]

Fighting unifies Patriots, tears apart Red Sox [mike petraglia – weei.com]

Schilling: “This is not somebody else’s fault” [projo sox blog]

Morales to start for Beckett on Sunday [projo sox blog]

Injury updates: Aviles, Bailey, Matsuzaka [projo sox blog]

Ortiz unlikely for this weekend [projo sox blog]

Doubront looks to draw Sox even vs. Twins [redsox.com]

Beckett to skip Sunday start; Morales to sub [redsox.com]

Ortiz: Won’t play this weekend [alex speier – weei.com]

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

photo credits: getty images, getty images

It’s time to face facts. The Boston Red Sox are probably no better than a .500 team.

They started July at their high point of five games above .500 only to lose their next five games to drop back to that mark. Over the rest of the month, they got no higher than three games above it. And since then, they continue to hover around the mark.

They had won four straight games before the Detroit Tigers took the finale two nights ago. Then last night, the Red Sox looked completely lost as a relative unknown pitcher Samuel Deduno shutdown the Red Sox in a 5-0 win for the Minnesota Twins.

With that loss, the Red Sox are now three games below .500 at home (27-30). That’s just not going to cut the Fenway Frank mustard, especially when the Fens used to give the home team a big advantage. It appears those days are gone.

In his short time in the big leagues Deduno has developed a reputation of walking people. He walked Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez back-to-back in the 1st only to see Cody Ross pop out to shortstop.

It took until the 5th inning for the Red Sox to get a hit off of him and that came on a Gonzalez double. After a Ross pop out (again), Deduno walked Ryan Lavarnway but Will Middlebrooks flew out to center. In the 6th, Gonzalez picked up the second hit of the game with a single that was followed by a walk to Ross. But Deduno recovered and got Lavarnway to fly out.

Those would be the last two baserunners the Red Sox would have over the final three innings as the Twins bullpen shut them down.

Jon Lester started this one for the Red Sox and took the loss. I didn’t think he pitched all that badly.

His cutter is back that’s for sure. And with his cutter back, it makes him all the much better as he can now mix in his cutter with his fastball. For most of the season, those two pitches have looked the same and that’s been the result of his struggles.

While this loss doesn’t signify the end of the season for the Red Sox, they need to play better against competition that is inferior record wise. The Twins entered the game 16 games below .500. And given how much talent the Red Sox have that shouldn’t happened.

With the trade deadline passing, there’s not much the Red Sox can do. They certainly have missed David Ortiz over the past two weeks. And it doesn’t look like he’s returning for at least a few more days. So for now, they’ll need to make the best of it. And by best of it, not the effort they gave last night.

We’ll be back later with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. So for now, let’s take at look at the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

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

Great unknown [boston globe]

Lowe would welcome return assignment [boston globe]

Ortiz takes positive steps [boston globe]

Sox can do nothing vs. lowly Twins [boston herald]

Bobby Valentine smells a rat in clubhouse [boston herald]

David Ortiz, Josh Beckett stay out [boston herald]

Alex Wilson adjusts well to relief effort [boston herald]

Hard-luck loss for Jon Lester [boston herald]

Sox get blanked by Twins, 5-0 [csn new england]

Ortiz: ‘I don’t want to have any setbacks’ [csn new england]

Pedroia: ‘Jon pitched great — we stunk’ [csn new england]

Sarcastic comment to Middlebrooks haunts Valentine [csn new england]

First Pitch: Magadan says Red Sox hitters need better approach [csn new england]

Rapid Reaction: Twins 5, Red Sox 0 [espn boston]

Jon Lester slowly figuring things out for Boston Red Sox [espn boston]

Bobby V: ‘Nice inning, kid’ got me a talking to [espn boston]

Closing Time: Red Sox bats go silent in loss to Twins [full count]

Jon Lester: ‘I took a lot of positives from tonight’ [full count]

Bobby Valentine just adding to Red Sox dysfunction [tony massarotti – boston globe]

Jon Lester’s Resurgence Far More Crucial Than Red Sox’ Frustrating Fall Back to .500 [nesn.com]

Red Sox Drop Opener to Twins, Must Rebound and Continue to Take Advantage of Lesser Teams [nesn.com]

Former Red Sox starter Lowe on Boston’s radar [redsox.com]

Lavarnway makes 2012 debut against Twins [redsox.com]

Bailey scheduled for second rehab outing Friday [redsox.com]

Beckett questionable for Sunday’s start [redsox.com]

Ortiz likely to return after Twins series [redsox.com]

When selling move to bullpen, Walker, Kipper speak from experience [soxprospects.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.

And if you must check out the enemy news, be sure to head over to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, Twins Target.

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

Concerned: UConn Coach Paul Pasqualoni Talks Offensive Line [desmond conner – hartford courant]

DC answered a few questions in his mailbag [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Former UConn LB traded to Colts [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn names Whitmer No. 1 QB [ct post]

UConn Football Practice Opens Friday [hartford courant]

Whitmer tabbed as starting QB [the hour]

UConn D Considered Strength [nbc connecticut]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Six Current Olympians Further Exemplify UConn’s Greatness [rich elliott – ct post]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Jordan Bell Calls UConn ‘Dream School’ [david borges – new haven register]

UConn target Xavier Rathan Mayes cuts list to 10 [kevin duffy – ct post]

UConn-Washington set [neill ostrout – ct post]

Player Profile: DeAndre Daniels [uconn huskies basketball]

UConn’s Jeremy Lamb Back In State, Speaks To Kids [hartford courant]

Other UConn related links

M. Soccer. Men’s Soccer Introduces New Youth Season Ticket Packages [uconnhuskies.com]

Baseball. UConn Baseball Summer Notebook [uconnhuskies.com]

Baseball. Video: Mike Olt Singles In First MLB At-Bat [sox & dawgs]

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

Well going into preseason training camp, which gets underway tomorrow, UConn Huskies football coach Paul Pasqualoni has decided on a No. 1 quarterback.

And of the five who were being considered, JUCO transfer Chandler Whitmer has been given the nod. Also, from looking at the QB depth chart, there’s no clear cut No. 2 behind him.

Here’s the release from UConn:

STORRS, Conn.  – University of Connecticut head football coach Paul Pasqualoni has announced that redshirt-sophomore Chandler Whitmer (Newnan, Ga.) will be the No. 1 quarterback on the UConn depth chart as the Huskies begin preseason practice on Friday.

Whitmer enrolled at Connecticut for the spring 2012 semester and participated in spring practice. He has three years of eligibility at Connecticut. Whitmer originally enrolled at Illinois in the fall of 2010 and was a redshirt. He spent the 2011 fall semester at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas and was 180 for 316 in the air for 3,022 yards with 25 TDs and 14 interceptions. He was named All-Kansas Junior College Conference first team honors and earned National Junior College Athletic Association All-American honorable mention. Butler was the second-ranked junior college team nationally in 2011.

Whitmer was named to The Champaign News-Gazette’s All-State team following his senior year of high school at Downers Grove (Ill.) South. He earned all state and all-area honors.

He was 18 of 27 in the air for 187 yards and two touchdowns in UConn’s Blue-White Spring Football game on April 21, 2012.

In addition, redshirt sophomore quarterback Scott McCummings (Natick, Mass.) will miss the beginning of preseason camp due to excused personal reasons.

The following is the UConn quarterback depth chart as preseason camp begins:

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

photo credit: brad horrigan – hartford courant