After falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates last night, the Boston Red Sox continue their Grapefruit League campaign with a matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park in Ft. Myers, FL.

Tonight’s game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. and will be broadcast in the Red Sox television market on NESN. The game will also be broadcast on the MLB Network. If you live in the Boston area, you can catch the game on your radio dial at WEEI 93.7 FM/850 AM.

Daniel Bard will make his second start of the spring as he transitions from being a reliever to the starting rotation. In his first outing of the spring, he went two innings allowing a walk and had two strikeouts.

Wade Davis will also be making his second start of the spring for Joe Maddon’s Rays. In his first outing, he also went two innings, allowing one hit while striking out one.

Click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page to see the lineups for tonight’s game plus links.

1. Desmond Jennings	LF	1. Nick Punto	2B
2. B.J. Upton	CF	2. Jose Iglesias	SS
3. Ben Zobrist	2B	3. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
4. Matthew Joyce	RF	4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
5. Jeff Keppinger	3B	5. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
6. Stephen Vogt	DH	6. Kevin Youkilis	3B
7. Elliot Johnson	1B	7. Darnell McDonald	LF
8. Reid Brignac	SS	8. Juan Carlos Linares	RF
9. Chris Gimenez	C	9. Alex Hassan	DH
Wade Davis	SP	Daniel Bard	SP

Bard will be followed by RHP Alfredo Aceves, RHP Clayton Mortensen, RHP Matt Albers and RHP Junichi Tazawa.

Davis followed by RHP Burke Badenhop, RHP Josh Lueke, RHP Albert Suarez, and RHP Romulo Sanchez.

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MORE LINKS WILL BE ADDED BEFORE GAME TIME AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE

Video: Borges makes case for why Jose Iglesias should be Red Sox shortstop [Clubhouse Insider]

Valentine likes what he sees in Lars Anderson [CSN New England]

Bowden receives high praise from Valentine [CSN New England]

McClure: Dice-K looks ‘good’ [CSN New England]

McClure: Hard to tell Dice-K was ever hurt [ESPN Boston]

Bobby V likes Maddon’s unpredictability [ESPN Boston]

Valentine praises Maddon, talks about his own style [Extra Bases]

A mending Daisuke Matsuzaka works to find his command [Full Count]

Red Sox notes: Cooking up another starting candidate? [Full Count]

Valentine looking forward to matchups with Maddon [Projo Sox Blog]

Matsuzaka looking good in recovery [Projo Sox Blog]

Cook to make debut Sunday [Projo Sox Blog]

Dice-K well on his way to a return to action [RedSox.com]

Cook’s bid for rotation spot starts on Sunday [RedSox.com]

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Photo credits: AP Photo, AP Photo

I think that sometimes we forget that spring training isn’t about winning. We always are expecting the Boston Red Sox to win every time they take the field.

But that’s not what spring training is about.

For a good portion of the 25-man roster, it’s about getting ready for the season. For some, it’s about performing well to try and make the 25-man roster or to even position yourself to be one of the first callups if needed.

So when we see Clay Buchholz give up a few runs in his three innings of work, we might think something’s up with him. It’s not folks, he’s just perfecting everything to be ready for the season.

One of the concerns for Buchholz was the back injury he suffered last year. On a wet mound at JetBlue Park last night, there was a worry he might slip again. He didn’t. The back even held up well when Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen called timeout at the last possible second.

Buchholz gave up two runs in three innings of work. He threw 51 pitches, 34 for strikes. He allowed three hits and had one strikeout with no walks while working on his changeup last night.

Vicente Padilla, however, didn’t fare as well out of the bullpen.

The Pirates teed up on his slow curve and fastball to the tune of four runs on five hits in two innings of work. Will Inman struggled with his command walking three while allowing a run on three hits in two innings. Michael Bowden and Brandon Duckworth had a strikeout each in an inning of work.

David Ortiz had a home run for the Red Sox as did Darnell McDonald off the bench who was 2-for-2 and is making a nice impression to be one of the outfielders for the season.

It’s a little too early in spring training right now to get any inkling of what the Red Sox lineup will look like. For now, it’s all about getting at bats in games and getting the work in. The rest will come as we draw closer to the opener in Detroit.

We’ll be back later with tonight’s lineups for and links from 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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Michael Bowden’s crossroads spring [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Proving to be a lifetime job [Boston Globe]

A smart move by Bailey [Boston Globe]

Clay Buchholz’ back looks to be back [Boston Herald]

Bailey a smart bet for Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Intrigue in Florida [Boston Herald]

Carl Crawford gets active [Boston Herald]

Padilla shaky in relief [CSN New England]

Buchholz crisp in second outing [CSN New England]

Valentine: Crawford won’t play Opening Day [CSN New England]

Takeaways from the Fort: Mixed bag for Buchholz [ESPN Boston]

Buchholz pleased with changeup [Extra Bases]

Bowden, McDonald take some steps forward [Extra Bases]

Grapefruit gleanings: Noteworthy stuff from Red Sox’ loss to Pirates [Full Count]

Sox set future pitching schedule [Projo Sox Blog]

Buchholz continues week of change [Projo Sox Blog]

Bailey to make Red Sox debut Monday [RedSox.com]

Middlebrooks relishing first big league camp [RedSox.com]

Buchholz no longer thinking about back woes [RedSox.com]

Padilla struggles in second relief appearance [RedSox.com]

McDonald makes loud impression on Valentine [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.

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 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.

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

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Dom answered a few questions in his mailbag [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Big East Bubble Report: Who’s In and Who’s Out? [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Calhoun Figures UConn Is Peaking At Right Time [Hartford Courant]

Watch & wait [Journal Inquirer]

Huskies have been able to shrug off adversity [New Haven Register]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn’s “Glue” Helped Stick It To ND [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Bird named MVP of Russian Cup [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Auriemma Gets Kelly Faris To Shoot More For UConn Women [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Baseball Holds on to Upset No. 22 Oklahoma, 8-7 [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball. Softball Defeated By San Diego State & Fresno State [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Men’s Hockey Drops First of Series at Air Force, 4-3 [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Track. McLaren Claims Third In High Jump At NCAA Championships [UConnHuskies.com]

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

With the UConn Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams awaiting their NCAA fate, we now have a little more time to focus our efforts on the Boston Red Sox. Just because I haven’t been writing about them, doesn’t mean I haven’t been paying attention.

The Red Sox have gotten off to a nice start to spring training under new manager Bobby Valentine as the team is 3-1-1 in its first five games. They also won their two college exhibition games against Northeastern and Boston College.

The Red Sox will kickoff the weekend with the first of four straight games on television here in the Red Sox television market. They will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight on NESN at 7:05 p.m. at JetBlue Park. Tomorrow night, they will take on the Tampa Bay Rays on NESN at 7:05 p.m., also from JetBlue Park. On Sunday, they’ll head north to Sarasota to take on the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 p.m. on NESN.

And finally, they’ll take on the Miami Marlins Monday afternoon on ESPN at 1:35 p.m. from JetBlue Park. If you’re fortunate to live in the market where YES is available, you can make it five straight days of Red Sox baseball when they take on the Yankees on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. from Tampa, FL.

Tonight’s game is also available on the radio on WRKO 680 AM. Tomorrow’s game will be available on WEEI 93.7 FM/850 AM as well as Tuesday’s game against the Yankees. Don’t forget to check out when the Red Sox will be on television and the radio for the rest of spring training as well.

Click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page to see the lineups for tonight’s game plus links.

1. Jose Tabata	RF	1. Mike Aviles	SS
2. Clint Barmes	SS	2. Kevin Youkilis	3B
3. Andrew McCutchen	LF	3. Dustin Pedroia	2B
4. Garrett Jones	1B	4. David Ortiz	DH
5. Nick Evans	DH	5. Ryan Sweeney	RF
6. Pedro Alvarez	3B	6. Cody Ross	CF
7. Brandon Boggs	LF	7. Kelly Shoppach	C
8. Eric Fryer	C	8. Lars Anderson	1B
9. Jordy Mercer	2B	9. Josh Kroeger	LF
Shairon Martis	SP	Clay Buchholz	SP

Buchholz will be followed by RHP Vicente Padilla, RHP Will Inman, RHP Michael Bowden and RHP Brandon Duckworth.

Martis followed by LHP Tony Watson, RHP Daniel McCutchen, RHP Chris Resop, LHP Doug Slaten, RHP Ryota Igarashi and RHP Tim Wood.

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MORE LINKS WILL BE ADDED BEFORE GAME TIME AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE

Papelbon’s Philly pandering is no big deal [Chad Finn’s Touching All The Bases]

Report: DNA test clears Ortiz in paternity case [Clubhouse Insider]

Andrew Bailey does not think Red Sox fans are dumb [Clubhouse Insider]

Tidbits on Crawford, Aceves as closer, Anderson as OF [Clubhouse Insider]

Report: Franklin Morales heart exams clear [CSN New England]

Sox questions: No. 5 starter just one [ESPN Boston]

Andrew Bailey: Red Sox fans are great [Extra Bases]

Morales checks out fine after scare [Extra Bases]

Who is going to be the Red Sox’ Opening Day starter? Bobby Valentine offers hints [Full Count]

Red Sox comfortable so far with rotation options [Full Count]

Randy Winn knows what it’s like to walk in Chris Carpenter’s shoes [Full Count]

Jenny Dell Sits Down With Lifelong Red Sox Fans Now Serving As JetBlue Park Employees [NESN.com]

Bobby Jenks, Ryan Lavarnway, David Ortiz Among MLB Players Who Dropped Most Weight in Offseason [NESN.com]

PawSox catcher Ryan Lavarnway does things the right way [PawSox.com]

Miller continues showing improvement [Projo Sox Blog]

Bailey throws BP, loves Boston fans [Projo Sox Blog]

Opening Day out of question for Crawford [Projo Sox Blog]

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

Photo credits: Getty Images, AP Photo

Here’s the release from the Boston Red Sox announcing they’ve come to terms with 16 players on their 2012 contracts:

The Boston Red Sox today announced that the club has agreed to terms with 16 players on the Major League roster on one-year contracts for the 2012 season. No further terms were disclosed.

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

Agreeing to terms were pitchers Michael Bowden, Drake Britton, Chris Carpenter, Felix Doubront, Mark Melancon, Clayton Mortensen, Stolmy Pimentel and Junichi Tazawa; catchers Luis Exposito and Ryan Lavarnway; infielders Lars Anderson, Will Middlebrooks and Oscar Tejeda; and outfielders Ryan Kalish, Che-Hsuan Lin and Darnell McDonald.

With the agreements, all 40 players on Boston’s Major League roster are under contract for the 2012 season.

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Here’s the release from the Boston Red Sox announcing the 2012 Futures at Fenway event:

The Boston Red Sox today announced details for the seventh annual Futures at Fenway presented by Xfinity, a minor league doubleheader at Fenway Park, now in its seventh year, taking place on Saturday, August 18. Similar to previous events, family-friendly ticket and concession prices along with kid-friendly activities will highlight the day of minor league fun at “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.”

After a one year absence from the event, Boston’s Single-A affiliate, the Lowell Spinners, will make their fifth overall appearance at Futures at Fenway, taking on the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, at 1:05pm.  Game two will feature the Pawtucket Red Sox, also making their fifth Futures at Fenway appearance, as they face off against the Buffalo Bisons, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets.

Many of the best and most promising prospects in the Red Sox farm system are part of the Lowell Spinners and Pawtucket Red Sox, giving fans a chance to catch these upcoming stars in the early stages of their development.  Current Red Sox players who are alumni of one or both of these Minor League teams include Clay Buchholz, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard, Jon Lester and Dustin Pedroia.

Kids attending the games will be selected randomly throughout the day to participate in a number of exciting activities including mascot races and other on-field experiences.  Additionally, player autograph sessions will take place at the ballpark.

The Futures at Fenway games also give fans an opportunity to enjoy seating locations they may have never before had the chance to experience, such as the Green Monster Seats, the Right Field Roof Deck, the Dugout Seats, the EMC Club, and State Street Pavilion.  For the sixth consecutive year, tickets will start as low as $5.00 (for Bleacher seats) and range up to just $30.00 (for Green Monster Seats, Dugout Seats, the EMC Club and the State Street Pavilion Club).  In addition, discounted concession items will be available for fans attending Futures at Fenway.

Red Sox season ticket holders, the four participating teams’ season ticket holders, and members of Red Sox Nation, will also have an advanced opportunity to purchase tickets.  Those fans will be contacted over the next few days.

Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Saturday, March 17.  Fans can visit www.redsox.com/futures or call (877) REDSOX-9 beginning at 10:00 a.m.  Fans with disabilities may also call (877) REDSOX-9 to purchase accessible seating. The Red Sox’ TTY number for hearing-impaired fans is (617) 226-6644.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino originally approached the Red Sox seven years ago with the idea to host minor league games at Fenway Park. Although records are incomplete, the Futures at Fenway games in 2006 are believed to be the first minor league games played at Fenway Park since the 1977 Eastern League All-Star Game.  The last known regular season minor league game played at Fenway had been a 1966 Eastern League contest between Pittsfield (Red Sox) and Pawtucket (Indians).

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

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

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Jim Calhoun’s Take [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Wrapping Things Up From The Garden [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Boeheim Has Huskies Going to Sweet 16 … ‘At Minimum’ [David Borges – New Haven Register]

the BET final wrap [Ed Daigneault – The Republican-American]

Notes/Quotes from Big East quarterfinal: “I would be shocked if Connecticut didn’t win two games in the NCAA tournament — at the minimum.” [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Video: Andre Drummond’s Dunk [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

UConn Off The Bubble: March 8 [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Post-game breakdown, video: Syracuse [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

‘I couldn’t be prouder of them’ [Neill Ostrout – Journal Inquirer]

Out Of Reach [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Syracuse outlasts UConn, ends Huskies’ postseason streak [CT Post]

Calhoun vs. Boeheim a rivalry worth remembering [CT Post]

Syracuse Storms Back To Eliminate UConn From Big East Men’s Tournament [Hartford Courant]

Next Up For UConn Men? Selection Sunday [Hartford Courant]

Despite Negative Outcome, Jim Calhoun Keeps It Positive [Hartford Courant]

Syracuse defeats Huskies in Big East quarterfinal [New Haven Register]

Calhoun, Boeheim confident Huskies have earned NCAA bid [New Haven Register]

Syracuse comes alive late to oust UConn [The Day]

Calhoun states UConn’s NCAA case [The Day]

UConn’s resume should be strong enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament [The Hour]

Will UConn compete in ’13 Big East tourney? [Dana O’Neil – ESPN.com]

Calhoun’s Huskies unshaken by defeat [FOXSports.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Stewart, Tuck Named Gatorade State Player Of The Year [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

With Auriemma Sitting at 800, Others Weigh In On His Success [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Some scheduling ramblings [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

UConn Football links

DC answered a few questions in his mailbag [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

W. Lacrosse. Women’s Lacrosse Upends UNH On The Road, 12-9 [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball. Huskies Travel To Fresno For Bayer CropScience Classic [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Track. Six Huskies Set For NCAA Championship This Weekend [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball Visits Oregon for NIKE Showcase [UConnHuskies.com]

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

It’s game day for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team as they will take on the Syracuse Orange in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. Tip is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

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

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Jim Calhoun’s Take [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Wrapping Things Up From The Garden [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Shabazz Picks Mountaineers’ Pockets [David Borges – New Haven Register]

BET second-round wrap [Ed Daigneault – The Republican-American]

Notes/Quotes from Big East Second Round: “Is it magical? No. It’s just us. It’s just us understanding eachother.” [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

A Husky In Madison Square Garden, It’s Smaller Than I Imagined [Sara Grant – Hartford Courant]

Post-game breakdown, video: West Virginia [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

‘It’s our time down here’ [Neill Ostrout – Journal Inquirer]

The Spark [UConn Huskies Basketball]

UConn rallies past West Virginia in OT thriller [CT Post]

UConn men: What we learned [CT Post]

Napier Leads UConn Men To OT Win Against West Virginia [Hartford Courant]

UConn Has Third Chance To Beat Syracuse [Hartford Courant]

No Doubt In Shabazz Napier’s Mind [Hartford Courant]

Huskies beat West Virginia in overtime, headed to Big East quarterfinals [New Haven Register]

Another classic with Syracuse? [New Haven Register]

For UConn men, faith rewarded [The Day]

Huskies glad to have another shot at Syracuse [The Day]

Calhoun, Huggins campaign for tourney spots after OT game [Sporting News]

UConn’s New Brand of Madness [SI.com]

UConn recovery following a familiar script [Dana O’Neil – ESPN.com]

It’s not last year, but UConn has tourney magic [CBSSports.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Good Thing For NCAA That Fairfield Lost [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Hayes Emerges In Win Over ND; Mosqueda-Lewis Shines [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Veterans stepped up for UConn [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Finally,  Auriemma Got The UConn Women To Play His Way [Hartford Courant]

Kelly Faris stepped up in Big East title game [New Haven Register]

UConn Football links

Spotlight on: Offensive line [Andrea Adelson – Hartford Courant]

Reyes leads way in updated mock draft [Andrea Adelson – Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

UConn Welcomes Temple To The BIG EAST Conference [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball. Catching Up With UConn Baseball [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Tennis. Men’s Tennis Squad Handles BU, 5-2 [UConnHuskies.com]

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

Here’s the release from the Boston Red Sox announcing that Fenway Park has been named to the National Register of Historic Places:

The Red Sox have been working with the Massachusetts Historic Commission and the National Park Service over the past few months to have Fenway Park added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the club received notification from the National Park Service that our application has been approved.

The commitment to preserve all that is good about Fenway Park was made to fans more than a decade ago, and we are pleased that Fenway Park will be counted among America’s most treasured historical places, ensuring that it is protected and enjoyed by future generations. This important designation is a significant part of Fenway Park’s 100th anniversary celebrations, and we look forward to formally celebrating it alongside the National Park Service and our preservation partners during the 2012 anniversary season.

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

Here’s the release from UConn that announces that UConn Huskies women’s basketball senior Tiffany Hayes being named to the Wooden Award’s Final Ballot for the 2011-12 season.

STORRS, Conn.- The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced the final ballot for the 2011-12 John R. Wooden Award on Wednesday afternoon and UConn’s senior guard Tiffany Hayes is the lone Husky on the list of 15. The National Ballot, consisting of these top players, will be mailed to Wooden Award voters this week, and voting begins March 12th. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the ballot is made up of 15 student-athletes who are the final contenders for women’s college basketball’s most prestigious honor.

Hayes was selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team after leading the Huskies in scoring (15.1 ppg) and steals (2.6 spg) as she is second in rebounding with 5.7 grabs per game. Hayes and Green Bay’s Julie Wojta were the only players who were not on the midseason Wooden Award list, but who made the ballot.

The BIG EAST has two on the final ballot as Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins joins Hayes on the list.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala, will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans, and the Legends of Coaching honoree Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The Women’s John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced at the Gala event.

For a full look at the final 15 candidates, please click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

(Players listed alphabetically)
*indicates player was 2011 Wooden Award All American
#indicates player was 2010 Wooden Award All American

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Photo credit: Cloe Poisson – Hartford Courant