After being swept by the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, the Boston Red Sox take to the road for a six-game, seven day road trip. Tonight, they’ll kick it off with the first of a three-game set with the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. and will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Rangers television market, you can watch the game on Fox Sports Southwest. And if you don’t live in either market you’re in luck as well as ESPN will have national coverage of the game (outside of Red Sox and Rangers television markets). You can also catch the game online at espn3.com and on your mobile device with the WatchESPN app. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Felix Doubront looks to get the Red Sox back on track in his 19th start of 2012. In his previous 18 starts, Doubront is 10-4 with a 4.24 ERA. He has not faced the Rangers this season and allowed three runs in a 1/3 of an inning in 2011. He’s made four appearances (one start) against the Rangers in his career and is 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA (7 ER/6.1 IP). Two of those appearances have come at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington where he has no record with a 13.50 ERA (2 ER/1.1 IP).

Scott Feldman steps in for an injured Roy Oswalt to make his 11th start (17th appearance) of 2012. In his previous 16 appearances (10 starts), Feldman is 3-6 with a 5.89 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox this season and allowed no runs over four innings of work in his only appearance against them in 2011. He’s made seven career appearances (one start) against the visiting nine from Boston and has no record with a 5.06 ERA (9 ER/16 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:

48-48		56-38
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Ian Kinsler	2B
2. Carl Crawford	LF	2. Elvis Andrus	SS
3. Dustin Pedroia	2B	3. Josh Hamilton	LF
4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	4. Adrian Beltre	3B
5. Cody Ross	DH	5. Michael Young	DH
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	6. Nelson Cruz	RF
7. Will Middlebrooks	3B	7. Mike Napoli	C
8. Ryan Sweeney	RF	8. Brandon Snyder	1B
9. Mike Aviles	SS	9. Craig Gentry	CF
Felix Doubront	SP	Scott Feldman	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

AL scout on Jon Lester: ‘He’s not far from being very good’ [clubhouse insider]

Report: Red Sox interested in Miami’s Sanchez, Johnson [csn new england]

Valentine unsure if Sox will skip Lester’s next start [csn new england]

Gonzalez staying level-headed after hot week at plate [csn new england]

Source: Sox eye Marlins’ Johnson, Sanchez [espn boston]

Safety at home? For Lester, anything but [espn boston]

Bobby V and Lester to ‘make a plan’ [espn boston]

Valentine happy to be back in Texas [espn boston]

The fall and rise (and fall) of Jon Lester [extra bases]

Red Sox contemplate next step for Lester [extra bases]

Red Sox ‘aces’ are killing the season [tony massarotti – boston globe]

Adrian Gonzalez Looks to Carry Heat at Plate to Texas as Red Sox Face Rangers [nesn.com]

Red Sox Have Backs Up Against the Wall and Other Thoughts From the Week in Baseball [nesn.com]

Can the Red Sox Make the Playoffs With Their Current Roster? [nesn.com]

Red Sox exceed draft bonus allotment by 4.1 percent [projo sox blog]

A Series Matter: Red Sox-Rangers and Mediocrity [projo sox blog]

Valentine on Lester: ‘I believe in him’ [projo sox blog]

Wednesday to be a busy day for Red Sox pitchers [projo sox blog]

Red Sox hit road, send Doubront against Rangers [redsox.com]

Source: Sox ‘never engaged’ on Dempster [alex speier – weei.com]

No DL, but Lester could be skipped [alex speier – weei.com]

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

photo credits: ap photo, ap photo

The seven-game homestand for the Boston Red Sox got off to a great start but ended like that start to it had never happened.

They welcomed back Kevin Youkilis to Fenway Park and took three-of-four from the Chicago White Sox. And after the Toronto Blue Jays came and took out their brooms, the Red Sox found themselves finishing the stanza at 3-4 and back at a .500 record at 48-48.

A big problem this homestand and especially yesterday was the starting pitching. Josh Beckett stunk, Aaron Cook made one too many mistakes and of course there’s Jon Lester.

By the time Lester got off the mound yesterday, he had set some new career-highs and folks, these weren’t good career-highs. He went just four innings, allowing 11 runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out two. He also gave up four home runs.

He gave up five runs in the 1st inning but saw Adrian Gonzalez get three of those back on one swing of the bat in the bottom half of the inning. After the home run, Dustin Pedroia was seen sitting in the dugout giving a pep talk to Lester.

It obviously didn’t work as Lester came back out in the top half of the 2nd and gave up four more runs putting the Red Sox in a hole they would ultimately be unable to recover from.

I’ll be honest, I was just as surprised as you probably were to see Lester back on the mound in the 3rd inning. With his confidence shaken, there probably wouldn’t any good to come of it. Whatever Bobby Valentine’s thinking was, it definitely wasn’t the right thing to do. But that’s why we sit here and Valentine makes those decisions.

We all know Lester is a better pitcher than he’s shown this season. Is he hurt? He says no. Is it mechanical? He doesn’t think so. Lester basically says its lack of execution. But whatever the case may be, he’s actually more of a liability than an asset right now.

You used to know what you were going to get when Lester and Beckett would toe the rubber. Now, you probably have a better chance at getting blackjack (I am not condoning gambling, just using that as an example to make point).

Fortunately for the Red Sox, the New York Yankees were swept in Oakland over the last four games so the Red Sox didn’t lose any ground in the AL East standings to them. But by being swept the Blue Jays, they now find themselves back in the basement and just a game out of third place. They are 3.5 games behind second place Baltimore.

That deficit is the same in the wild card standings behind the Orioles and surging Athletics.

With the trade deadline coming up in just eight days, GM Ben Cherington has some serious thinking to do. With the second wild card in play, the Red Sox are by no means out of the postseason. But if he doesn’t think Lester or Beckett are going to turn things around, Cherington really has to explore the market for a starting pitcher and a good one at that. That may end up costing them a few prospects but if the mentality is to win now, it might be worth it.

If he decides to go the other way and sell off some pieces, there’ll probably be an uproar. Of course there’s also the possibility that the Red Sox do a little of both.

Either way, it’s not going to be an easy thing to decide for Cherington. As fans of the team, we have to back him up with whatever he decides to do going forward.

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.

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

Heartbreak hill [boston globe]

Ortiz not part of travel plans [boston globe]

Clean innings in mop-up duty [boston globe]

Futility, thy name is Jon Lester [boston herald]

Jon Lester’s new low [boston herald]

Junichi Tazawa saves bullpen [boston herald]

Ex-coach John Farrell finds Jon Lester’s weak points [boston herald]

Week ahead might break sagging Sox [boston herald]

Jon Lester, Josh Beckett have left Red Sox with their make-or-break moment [rob bradford – weei.com]

Blue Jays crush Lester, Red Sox in 15-7 romp [csn new england]

It may be time for Sox to admit what they are [csn new england]

Lester: ‘It’s embarrassing. I let my team down’ [csn new england]

Ellsbury a rare bright spot with first home run of season [csn new england]

Potentially season-altering road trip awaits Red Sox [csn new england]

Look no further than Lester, Beckett for Sox struggles [csn new england]

Lester at an all-time low after Blue Jays beating [csn new england]

Pedroia gives Lester pep talk but to no avail [csn new england]

Ortiz: ‘Can’t wait to be back’ [espn boston]

Rapid Reaction: Blue Jays 15, Red Sox 7 [espn boston]

Sox hit road searching for answers [espn boston]

Pedroia to Lester: We have your back [espn boston]

Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester hits new low with drubbing by Toronto Blue Jays [espn boston]

Bobby Valentine: Red Sox batters right now ‘just aren’t getting that hit’ [full count]

Closing Time: Jon Lester left still looking for answers as Blue Jays sweep Red Sox [full count]

Jon Lester: ‘Hard for me to walk around clubhouse and look guys in the eye right now’ [full count]

Dustin Pedroia on Jon Lester: ‘We love him and I’ll play behind him any day of the week’ [full count]

Mark Prior Could Be a September Call-Up That Helps Red Sox Earn Playoff Spot [nesn.com]

Jon Lester Embarrassed by Recent Starts, Claims He Can’t ‘Look Guys in the Eye’ in the Clubhouse [nesn.com]

Red Sox Reach Critical Point in Season, Recognize Tough Schedule Ahead [nesn.com]

Jon Lester Not Making Excuses for Career-Worst Performance (Video) [nesn.com]

Cody Ross Among Red Sox Who Still Have Faith in Jon Lester Despite Recent Struggles (Video) [nesn.com]

Jon Lester Faces Music After Latest Rough Outing, Owns Up Despite Obvious Frustration [nesn.com]

Lester’s recent woes continue in lopsided loss [redsox.com]

Valentine opts to rest Middlebrooks, Crawford [redsox.com]

Bailey about week away from rehab assignment [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, head over to the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun websites.

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

photo credit: reuters pictures

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.

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UConn Football links

Big East and the Orange Bowl [andrea adelson – espn.com]

OLine Help On Way: Big Andreas Knappe A Go For UConn This Season [desmond conner – hartford courant]

How does NCAA 13 think UConn will do this year? [the uconn blog]

Four Huskies Named to Seven Preseason Award Watch Lists [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Augustis, Taurasi Lead U.S. Past Turkey In Exhibition Finale [rich elliott – ct post]

Auriemma, Taurasi Comment Following Win Over Turkey [rich elliott – ct post]

Team USA Completes Exhibition Play With 5-0 Record [uconnhuskies.com]

Tiffany Hayes’ Basketball Camp packs excitement [newschief.com]

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

A few bad pitches by Aaron Cook ended up costing the Boston Red Sox last night in a 7-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Today, the Red Sox look to salvage the finale of a three-game series at historic Fenway Park.

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

Jon Lester looks to help the Red Sox get back on track in his 20th start of 2012. In his previous 19 starts, Lester is 5-7 with a 4.80 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Jays this season and is 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA (7 ER/15 IP). Lester has made 20 career starts against the Blue Jays and is 11-5 with a 3.20 ERA. He’s had success against them in eight career Fenway starts as he is 5-1 with a 2.98 ERA.

Henderson Alvarez will try to help his team complete the weekend sweep in his 19th start of 2012. In his previous 18 starts, Alvarez is 5-7 with a 4.29 ERA. He’s made three starts against the Red Sox this season and is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA. Overall in his career, Alvarez has made four starts against the Red Sox and is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA. He picked up the win in his only career start at the Fens after allowing five runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings of work back on June 25th.

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:

47-47		48-47
1. Brett Lawrie	3B	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Yunel Escobar	SS	2. Daniel Nava	LF
3. Colby Rasmus	CF	3. Dustin Pedroia	2B
4. Edwin Encarnacion	1B	4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
5. J.P. Arencibia	DH	5. Cody Ross	DH
6. Rajai Davis	RF	6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
7. Travis Snider	LF	7. Ryan Sweeney	RF
8. Jeff Mathis	C	8. Mike Aviles	SS
9. Omar Vizquel	LF	9. Nick Punto	3B
Henderson Alvarez	SP	Jon Lester	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

Cody Ross Diary: Walk-off magic [cody ross – espn.com]

Ross gives his side of story [boston globe]

Varitek receives some high praise [boston globe]

Supply not matching up with the demand [boston globe]

Their aces need a change in plans [boston globe]

Another step back for frustrating Sox [boston herald]

Don’t expect ‘bold’ face in Sox trades [boston herald]

Two pitches spoil Aaron Cook’s recipe [boston herald]

Lester looking for luck [boston herald]

Pumpsie Green reflects on historic day in ’59 [boston herald]

Tek to Beckett, Lester: Stop dwelling on negative [csn new england]

Offensive outage continues to plague Sox [csn new england]

Salty credits success to Varitek’s support [csn new england]

Jays belt Cook’s two mistakes [csn new england]

Blue Jays Cook Red Sox, 7-3 [csn new england]

Varitek overwhelmed by “surreal” tribute [csn new england]

Lester still searching for groove [csn new england]

Sox honor Varitek in pregame ceremony [espn boston]

Ells, Aviles sit out; Ortiz, Dice-K on mend [espn boston]

Rapid Reaction: Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 3 [espn boston]

If Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation doesn’t shape up soon, changes must be made [espn boston]

Closing Time: Cookie crumbles as Red Sox lose to Blue Jays [full count]

Jason Varitek: ‘Quit looking at their faults’ and ‘get behind’ Josh Beckett and Jon Lester [full count]

David Ortiz ‘Proud’ of Jason Varitek as Red Sox Honor Legendary Catcher at Fenway [nesn.com]

Jason Varitek Enjoying His Newfound Health in Retirement, Amazed by Pregame Ceremony at Fenway [nesn.com]

Aaron Cook Cites Two Bad Pitches for Loss, But Approved of Performance Otherwise [nesn.com]

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Snaps Slump, Steps Up in Presence of Iconic Red Sox Catchers [nesn.com]

Jason Varitek’s One-Team Career Admired by Matt Stairs, Who Played for 13 Clubs (Video) [nesn.com]

Aaron Cook Yields Two Bad Pitches on a Night That Demanded Perfection [nesn.com]

Warmup routine may be behind Beckett’s struggles [redsox.com]

Saltalamacchia returns from break [redsox.com]

Ellsbury gets a break; Aviles nicked up [redsox.com]

Varitek honored by Red Sox Nation one last time [redsox.com]

Lester seeks rebound in finale against Jays [redsox.com]

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

photo credits: getty images, 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

UConn commit leads team to 7-on-7 title [jim fuller – new haven register]

QB Richard Lagow still sold on UConn [espn.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Fowles Scores 15, Bird Returns As U.S. Crushes Croatia 109-55 [rich elliott – ct post]

Comments From Auriemma, Taurasi After Win Over Croatia [rich elliott – ct post]

Sun duo ready for Games [norwich bulletin]

Olympians, Eastern Connecticut fans have bond [norwich bulletin]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Olander, At Pro-Am, Shows An Assertive Side [hartford courant]

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

After falling last night 6-1, the Boston Red Sox look to even up the series tonight in the middle game of a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays 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 Blue Jays television market, you can watch the game on Rogers SportsNet. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Don’t forget, Jason Varitek will be honored before the game. The ceremony to honor Tek starts at 6:30 p.m. on NESN. I’ll do my best to get the video posted tonight but I can’t promise you anything. I can tell you it will get up at some point.

The sinkerballer Aaron Cook will make his 6th start of 2012 for the Red Sox. In his previous five starts, Cook is 2-2 with a 3.07 ERA. He has not faced the Blue Jays since the 2007 season as a member of the Colorado Rockies when he took the loss after allowing eight runs (six earned) in 5.1 innings of work. He’s made two career starts against them and is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA (8 ER/10.2 IP).

Carlos Villanueva will make just his fourth start (26th appearance) for former Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. In his previous 25 appearances (three starts), Villanueva is 4-0 with a 2.68 ERA. His lone appearance against the Red Sox back on June 2nd when he allowed one run in one inning of work. Overall in his career, Villanueva has made six appearances (one start) and is 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA. He’s made two appearances (one start) at the Fens and is 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA (5 ER/7 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:

46-47		48-46
1. Anthony Gose	RF	1. Daniel Nava	RF
2. Brett Lawrie	3B	2. Carl Crawford	LF
3. Colby Rasmus	CF	3. Dustin Pedroia	2B
4. Edwin Encarnacion	1B	4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
5. Adam Lind	DH	5. Cody Ross	DH
6. J.P. Arencibia	C	6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
7. Kelly Johnson	2B	7. Will Middlebrooks	3B
8. Yunel Escobar	SS	8. Ryan Sweeney	CF
9. Travis Snider	LF	9. Pedro Ciriaco	SS
Carlos Villanueva	SP	Aaron Cook	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

Could Josh Beckett’s pregame routine be causing 1st-inning trouble? [clubhouse insider]

Valentine: Things are looking up for Sox [espn boston]

Varitek’s career by the numbers [espn boston]

Gordon Edes pays tribute to Tek [espn boston]

Jason Varitek in his own words [espn boston]

Sox honor Tek tonight at Fenway [espn boston]

Valentine thinks Sox ‘are coming together’ [espn boston]

Sox try to rebound vs. Jays [espn boston]

A ‘planned’ day off for Jacoby Ellsbury [extra bases]

How Many Home Runs Will Cody Ross Hit This Season? [nesn.com]

Adrian Gonzalez, Cody Ross Among Hottest Red Sox Hitters Going Against Toronto [nesn.com]

Josh Beckett Contemplates Tweaking Pregame Routine To Improve On First Inning Struggles [nesn.com]

Aviles out with turf toe [mike petraglia – weei.com]

Valentine on Beckett’s pregame warmups: ‘This is a dog that is hard to teach a new trick to’ [projo sox blog]

Kelly Shoppach crushes lefties — especially lefties he once caught [projo sox blog]

Planned day off for Ellsbury [projo sox blog]

Cook riding wave of success into start vs. Toronto [redsox.com]

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

photo credits: ap photo, ap photo

If Josh Beckett can’t figure out how to get through the first inning of a game without giving up any runs, it could turn out to be a long second half of the season for him and the Boston Red Sox.

Despite assurances from manager Bobby Valentine that Beckett would get through that first inning without incident, it still happened. In fact, he gave up four runs in the first two innings and his team never recovered in a 6-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

If Beckett needs to figure anything out, it’s how to be consistent on the mound. He shows it at times as evidenced by the seven strikeouts but then he doesn’t when he leaves pitches out over the plate as evidenced by the laser shots by Colby Rasmus and Yunel Escobar earlier in the game.

Of course it doesn’t help when the offense can’t do anything against journeyman pitcher Aaron Laffey. They had no answers for him at all. And of course this is the second time he’s done this against the Red Sox this season as he has now not allowed a run against them in 13 innings.

The bright spots offensively were Kelly Shoppach, who was making his third straight start, as he went 2-for-3. Will Middlebrooks also had two singles and probably should have had a third if Kelly Johnson had not been shifted over to the middle.

I really thought the momentum from Cody Ross‘ walkoff home run on Thursday night and the great start from Clay Buchholz would have carried over in to Friday’s game. Instead, we essentially watched the same thing we do everytime Beckett has made a start lately.

There are some out there that thinks the Red Sox should trade Beckett. That probably won’t happen. And even if they did want to trade him, Beckett has veto power over any trade because he has “10 and 5” rights as a veteran. If you don’t know what that means, it’s simple. He’s played at least 10 years in the big leagues and has spent at least five of those with the Red Sox.

However, it does make things interesting with the trade deadline coming up. Both Jon Lester and Beckett have the same number of wins this season as Daniel Bard does. And don’t forget, Bard is in Triple-A trying to regain his confidence.

But with some quality pitchers available, GM Ben Cherington may have to pull the trigger on one of them especially if the Red Sox are going for it this year.

Either way, Beckett really needs to figure things out. And pretty dang quickly.

We’ll be back later with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day.

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, head over to the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun websites.

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

photo credit: ap photo

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 Women’s Basketball links

Taurasi: U.S. women fighting for respect [ct post]

Other UConn related links

Associate Director of Athletics/SWA Pat Babock To Retire [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Harris attends Caps’ development camp [estevan mercury]

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

After taking three-of-four from the Chicago Youk’s, the Boston Red Sox will finish up their seven-game homestand. Tonight, they’ll welcome the Toronto Blue Jays for the first game of a three-game set 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 Blue Jays television market, you can watch the game on Rogers SportsNet. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Josh Beckett looks to finally turn the corner in his 16th start of 2012. In his previous 15 starts, Beckett is 5-7 with a 4.44 ERA. He has not faced the Jays in 2012 and was 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA (1 ER/10.2 IP) in two starts in 2011. He’s made 16 career starts against the Blue Jays and is 4-6 with a 6.30 ERA. Nine of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 3-4 with a 4.97 ERA.

Aaron Laffey makes his fifth start (ninth appearance) of 2012 for John Farrell. In his previous eight appearances (four starts), Laffey is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA. In his only start of 2012 against the Red Sox and picked up no decision after throwing six shutout innings back on June 26th. Laffey has made seven career appearances (two starts) and is 0-1 with a 5.94 ERA. Six of those appearances (two starts) have come at the Fens where he is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

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:

45-47		48-45
1. Anthony Gose	RF	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Colby Rasmus	CF	2. Carl Crawford	LF
3. Edwin Encarnacion	1B	3. Dustin Pedroia	2B
4. Adam Lind	DH	4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
5. J.P. Arencibia	C	5. Cody Ross	RF
6. Kelly Johnson	2B	6. Will Middlebrooks	3B
7. Yunel Escobar	SS	7. Kelly Shoppach	C
8. Travis Snider	LF	8. Mike Aviles	SS
9. Yan Gomes	3B	9. Pedro Ciriaco	DH
Aaron Laffey	SP	Josh Beckett	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

Dustin Pedroia can drive foes crazy now [boston herald]

Sox should heed caution on big deal [boston herald]

Clay Buchholz Starting to Look Like He Could Be Ace Red Sox Need for Second-Half Surge [tom caron – nesn.com]

Saltalamacchia gets more time off from funk [clubhouse insider]

Red Sox notes: Valentine doesn’t believe in momentum [csn new england]

Olney: Sox early favorites for Garza [espn boston]

Taking the pulse of Red Sox Nation [espn boston]

Francona responds to Crawford dig [espn boston]

Beckett tries to keep Sox rolling [espn boston]

Tentative ’13 schedule: Sox open in Bronx [espn boston]

Blue Jays, Astros make 10-player trade [extra bases]

Ted Williams stamp debuts today [extra bases]

Valentine: Starters ready to get on a roll [extra bases]

Cody Ross’ Bat Flip Has Become As Captivating As Outfielder’s Monster Home Runs (Gallery) [nesn.com]

Matt Garza Could Be Realistic Option for Red Sox, Especially Given History in AL East [nesn.com]

Adrian Gonzalez, Cody Ross Hitting Stride at Right Time As Red Sox Open Big Series With Toronto [nesn.com]

Who Should Fill In As Designated Hitter in David Ortiz’s Abscence? [nesn.com]

Trags Bag: Why now is time to reload, not rebuild, for Red Sox [mike petraglia – weei.com]

A Series Matter: Red Sox-Blue Jays and Minutiae [projo sox blog]

What would a pitching upgrade be worth to the Red Sox? [projo sox blog]

Bailey and Hill each progressing [projo sox blog]

Cook slowly adding cutter to pitch mix [projo sox blog]

Coming off gritty win, Beckett faces Blue Jays [redsox.com]

Hamate injury not slowing Jacobs [soxprospects.com]

Understanding an epic struggle: Why prospect Shaq Thompson’s slump is no laughing matter [alex speier – weei.com]

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

photo credits: reuters pictures, getty images

Just imagine the possibilities right now of where the Boston Red Sox could be if they were entirely healthy earlier in the season. And imagine what it could be like if Jon Lester and Josh Beckett pitched like they are capable of.

Yes right now the Red Sox are without David Ortiz and still haven’t seen Andrew Bailey pitch yet this year but since the return of Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford from the disabled list, they have been playing like they were expected to. And that’s win some baseball games.

The Chicago White Sox, aka the Youk’s, came into Fenway Park as the first place team in the AL Central. And while they are still in first place, they leave Boston having lost three of four games.

Last night, the Red Sox barely could do anything against the South Siders starter Jose Quintana. They managed one hit through the first six innings, a Pedro Ciriaco triple. They barely even made Quintana work on the mound as he thrown just 68 pitches through six innings.

It looked as though they were poised for a big inning in the 7th against Quintana after three straight singles by Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross. But Quintana was able to induce a double play off the bat of Will Middlebrooks to preserve his team’s 1-0 lead.

On the other side of things, Clay Buchholz was looking the old Buchholz. You know the one that could be an ace of the staff.

While he didn’t factor in the decision, he did his best to match the rookie pitcher from the other team. He went eight innings, allowing the one run on six hits and a walk while striking out six. Of course the one walk he had came around to score. As they say, leadoff walks usually kill you.

He had all of his pitches going for him last night. He had great life on his fastball and commanded it well. His breaking ball was outstanding and he mixed in his changeup at the right time. It was the exact performance the Red Sox were looking for from him.

Buchholz’s record was never in question this year. Despite having an ERA as high as nine earlier in the season, he has completely turned it around. Who knows how lower it could be if he hadn’t missed a few starts while on the disabled list with the bout esophagitis. Over his past seven starts, Buchholz is 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA.

Amazing what he can do when he feels healthy and can completely trust his back, the same one that sidelined him for most of the 2011 season.

We haven’t even really talked about the hero of last night’s game, Ross.

In the 10-1 win on Wednesday night, Ross played hero when he hit two three-run homers. Last night, with two runners on in the bottom of the 9th, he did the same thing. This time though, his three-run homer was of the walkoff variety to give the local nine their second straight win.

Ross was pissed when he didn’t start the first game back from the All-Star break. But once he was inserted back into the lineup, he’s been raking at the plate. He’s also making it hard for Bobby Valentine to play Ryan Sweeney when the other team starts a righty. But you know what, that’s a good problem to have right now. Plus with Ortiz out of the lineup, he could always insert one of the two into the DH spot.

The Red Sox are still a plethora of games out of first place (9.5) behind the New York Yankees. But they sit just a 1/2 game behind the Baltimore Orioles for second place in the AL East. They are just one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the second wild card spot and two behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the top wild card spot.

And with the trade deadline 11 days away and seven teams in the running for those final two spots, it’ll be interesting to see how things shake out.

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

Dramatic exit [boston globe]

He’s enjoying his time as offense’s leading man [boston globe]

Buchholz was on target all night long [boston globe]

Trip to the DL leaves Ortiz feeling ‘frustrated’ [boston globe]

Everything is fine with Pedroia [boston globe]

Cody Ross rescues Red Sox [boston herald]

Clay Buchholz gives Sox chance in comeback [boston herald]

Futures bright for Salem teammates Matt Barnes, Xander Bogaerts [boston herald]

Uncovering the truth regarding the relationship between Bob McClure, Bobby Valentine [rob bradford – weei.com]

Ross walk-off gives Red Sox 3-1 win over White Sox [csn new england]

Aceves earns first win in victory over White Sox [csn new england]

Buchholz: ‘I’ve felt pretty confident’ [csn new england]

Valentine on Ross: ‘What’s there not to love?’ [csn new england]

Ross: ‘We got to meet The Shredder tonight’ [csn new england]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 3, White Sox 1 [espn boston]

Aceves marks 1st win with Gatorade shower [espn boston]

Boston Red Sox walk off on Cody Ross’ third three-run home run in two nights [espn boston]

Clay Buchholz looks like Boston Red Sox ace [espn boston]

Dustin Pedroia clarifies not visiting mound, relationship with Bobby Valentine [full count]

Closing Time: Three is the magic number as Red Sox, Cody Ross walk off with win [full count]

Red Sox finally get their top-of-the-rotation starter with Clay Buchholz [full count]

Dustin Pedroia gets right back into line of fire and ‘felt fine at the plate’ [full count]

Kelly Shoppach Getting String Of Nods Over Jarrod Saltalamacchia Due to Stretch Against Lefties [nesn.com]

Bobby Valentine Praises Ben Cherington’s Work Ethic, Supports His Thoughts on Any Potential Trade Ideas [nesn.com]

Cody Ross Emerging Into Biggest Steal of Offseason With Power Surge Leading Sox to Another Win [nesn.com]

Red Sox Finally Having ‘Fun,’ Evolving Clubhouse Atmosphere Appears Key to Winning Ways [nesn.com]

Kevin Youkilis Ready to Move on After Dealing With ‘Craziness’ of Return to Boston [nesn.com]

Dustin Pedroia ‘Felt Good’ At The Plate, Hopes To Build On It With Sox Lineup Taking Shape [nesn.com]

Clay Buchholz Sparkles Again, Hinting at Possible Return to Dominant 2010 Form [nesn.com]

Cody Ross Does Impossible With Walk-Off As He Leaves Hawk Harrelson Virtually Silent [nesn.com]

Cody Ross Likens Walk-Off Celebration to Piranha Attack, Recounts ‘Evil’ Look of ‘Shredder’ (Video) [nesn.com]

With Deadline nearing, Sox trade Germano [redsox.com]

Red Sox must calculate Crawford’s trade value [redsox.com]

Crawford’s start to season far different from 2011 [redsox.com]

Ortiz hopes to take swings as soon as Friday [redsox.com]

Pedroia returns from DL, exciting Sox clubhouse [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 Arlington Heights Daily Herald, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune and ESPN Chicago websites.

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

photo credit: Getty Images