We’ve all seen what the Boston Red Sox offense can do to teams this season. But on Thursday night at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles, they did something we hadn’t seen before.

One of the big things the Red Sox hadn’t done this year was hit four home runs in a game. That changed in the 7th inning when Buck Showalter brought in lefty Pedro Viola to face David Ortiz. Big Papi had been in short of a funk because of interleague play but one swing of the bat made things better as his home run, the 4th of the night for the local nine, put them up 8-3.

But the Red Sox didn’t stop there as Josh Reddick was the next batter and he took Viola deep. But wait, there’s more. Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed the back-to-back home runs from Big Papi and Reddick with a solo johnson of his own to make it three in a row and put the Red Sox firmly in front at 10-4 with the team’s sixth home run of the night.

The Red Sox got the earlier home runs from Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and Jacoby Ellsbury. The three-run home run by Pedroia in the 3rd inning was huge at the time as they were trailing 2-0. Gonzo’s home run in the 5th made it 5-3 and Ellsbury’s home run in the 6th had pushed the lead to 7-3.

Ironically enough, the only run of the night the Red Sox didn’t score on a home run came off the bat of J.D. Drew who grounded out to first in the 4th. It was also Drew who couldn’t make it four home runs in a row in the 7th as he worked himself a walk.

Gonzo’s home run was just part of yet another three-hit night for him as his average is up to .351. Pedroia also had two hits as did Salty and Big Papi.

Andrew Miller started this for the Red Sox and he was making just his first start of the season against an American League team. His previous three starts had all come during interleague play against teams that don’t have Derek Lee batting 6th.

Miller had command issues early on as he had trouble locating his fastball for strikes. It also looked as though his velocity was down a few MPH as well. The Orioles touched him up for two runs in the 1st and after Pedroia had given the lead in the 3rd, he gave it right back in the 4th on J.J. Hardy sacrifice fly.

This was definitely not his best outing of the four but it was good enough to keep the Red Sox in the game at the time. And that’s something that John Lackey hasn’t been able to do. His control issues cost him getting into the 6th inning, something he had done in his previous three starts. He ended up throwing 97 pitches in five innings but only 56 of them were for strikes.

Given the state of the Red Sox rotation right now with Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz on the DL plus a struggling Lackey, they need Miller to do what he did last night just a little better. And we also have to remember, there are going to be a few bumps in the road for him as he tries to rebuild himself.

If those bumps in the road for Miller are anything like they were last night, I think he’ll be okay. He won’t pitch again before the All-Star break unless Terry Francona and Curt Young throw him out there for an inning on Sunday. That’s highly unlikely but you never know. But if he doesn’t pitch then, he’ll have some time to work out the kinks and be ready when the Red Sox come back from the All-Star break.

The bullpen was solid behind him as Alfredo Aceves needed just 15 pitches to retire all six batters he faced. Scott Atchison was touched up for a run and Bobby Jenks allowed a hit but all in all, a good night for the pen.

With the win for the Red Sox coupled with the New York Yankees loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox are now back in first place by ½ game. The Rays do stay 3.5 games behind the Red Sox. Hopefully on Sunday when the games end, the Red Sox will find themselves in first.

We’ll be back later today with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and any links from the day. But for now, enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below.

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

Video: Red Sox Fan Grabs A Little Boob [SOX & Dawgs]

Launch party [Boston Globe]

Buchholz’s spirits boosted [Boston Globe]

Round trip to 7th heaven [Boston Globe]

Prospect furnished with polish [Boston Globe]

A step back is not path for Lackey [Boston Globe]

Can’t skip his place in Sox lore [Boston Globe]

Dick Williams; Sox skipper for Impossible Dream season [Boston Globe]

Sox bats back Andrew Miller [Boston Herald]

Almost HR deja Drew [Boston Herald]

A true Red Sox legend [Boston Herald]

Albers brings relief with fresh start [Boston Herald]

Jacoby Ellsbury’s long story [Boston Herald]

’67 Sox remember old skipper [Boston Herald]

Red Sox power surge beats Orioles, 10-4 [CSNNE.com]

Red Sox Nation was born with Williams [CSNNE.com]

Red Sox bats fully awake after interleague lull [CSNNE.com]

Buchholz gets ‘good news’ on his back injury [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Miller just good enough versus Orioles [CSNNE.com]

Francona on Williams: a brilliant manager [ESPN Boston]

Red Sox mourn Dick Williams [ESPN Boston]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 10, Orioles 4 [ESPN Boston]

Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz says back injury is ‘just a muscular thing’ [ESPN Boston]

Trying to get a handle on Andrew Miller [Extra Bases]

Buchholz had ‘good news’ on back [Extra Bases]

Closing Time: Bombs away at Fenway in Red Sox 10-4 win over Orioles [Full Count]

Six homers have Ortiz (jokingly) reconsidering Home Run Derby selections [Full Count]

Dustin Pedroia can hit it wherever it’s pitched [Full Count]

Go Inside the Green Monster With Behind-the-Scenes Look at Fenway Park’s Famous Wall (Photos) [NESN.com]

Video: J.D. Drew Can’t Help Make Red Sox Home Run History Again [NESN.com]

Red Sox Power Up to Hammer Orioles, Move Back Into First Place With Convincing Win [NESN.com]

Bats launch six homers as Boston reclaims first place [Providence Journal]

‘Impossible Dream’ manager Dick Williams passes away [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Nation owes debt to Williams [Providence Journal]

Red Sox outfielders earn high rating [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Francona remembers Williams [Providence Journal]

Lowrie progressing, but unable to swing bat [RedSox.com]

Tek praises Salty’s work with Wake on hill [RedSox.com]

Buchholz gets cortisone injection in his back [RedSox.com]

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

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Baltimore Sun website. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, the Oriole Post.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Here’s the press release from the Palm Beach County Sports Commission that announces UConn Huskies kicker Dave Teggart as one of the 30 players on the the Lou Groza Award watch list.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL – Danny Hrapmann, David Ruffer and Blair Walsh, all finalists for previous Groza Awards, head up the 30 player watch list released today by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The only previous Groza winner to repeat is current Oakland Raider kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who received the honor in 1998 & 1999, while playing for Florida State.

Kickers on the Lou Groza Award Watch List were chosen based on statistics from the 2010 season and 2011 pre-season expectations. Nine semi-finalists are returning from 2010, including Michigan State junior Dan Conroy, who was twice the recipient of the National Placekicker of the Week award and whose 93.3% field goal percentage was fifth in the nation in kicking accuracy. Duke University senior Will Synderwine, a two-time Lou Groza Award semi-finalist, is first among active kickers nationally in career field goals made per game (1.65) and third in career field goal percentage (0.864). Sophomore Ross Krautman of Syracuse University, named a freshman All-American by Sporting News and Rivals.com, lead the Big East in field goal accuracy by converting on 18 of his 19 field goal attempts. The Big 12 leads all conferences with 5 kickers on the Pre-season Watch List. The Big 10, ACC, and Big East each have 4 kickers on the list. The SEC and Pac-10, both represented in the 2011 BCS National Championship, have 3 kickers each on the list. The Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers during the season, and releasing a weekly “Stars of the Week” feature on www.lougrozaaward.com.

Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award announces its 20 semi-finalists on Friday, October 28, 2011. From this list, a panel of over 300 experts selects the top three (3) finalists for the award by Monday, November 21, 2011. That same group then selects the national winner which will be announced Thursday, December 8, 2011, during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Award Show, broadcast live from Orlando, FL.

The 20th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl Committee, recognizes the three (3) finalists during an early week celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet on December 6, prior to joining ESPN in Orlando.

The Award, is named for National Football League (NFL) Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an “All Pro” offensive lineman, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.

For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to follow the season progress, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com.

To continue reading and see the full list, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

National College Football Awards Association

The Lou Groza Place Kicker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, ncfaa.org.

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 13-day period this month. Fifteen of the association’s 21 awards select a preseason watch list and this is the first time the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2011 preseason watch list calendar:

Tues., July 5: Maxwell Award/Bednarik Award

Wed., July 6: Biletnikoff Award/Mackey Award

Thurs., July 7: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award

Fri., July 8: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy

Mon., July 11: Jim Thorpe Award

Tues., July 12: Rotary Lombardi Award

Wed., July 13: Rimington Trophy

Thurs., July 14: Butkus Award

Fri., July 15: Davey O’Brien Award/Doak Walker Award

Mon., July 18: Walter Camp Award

About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships and a local membership program that support its goals. Local, regional, national and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Awards program, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches and awards the annual Sam Budnyk Student-Athlete Scholarship. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission go to www.palmbeachsports.com.

2011 Pre-season Lou Groza Award Watch List In Alphabetical Order
Last Name	First Name	School	Year	2010 FGM	2010 FGA	2010 FG%	2010 Total PTS	Notes
Barbour	Michael	East Carolina	Sr.	16	18	88.9	104	All-Conference USA Second Team for the 2010 college football season as selected by the league’s 12 head football coaches. Barbour has made 16 of his last 18 field goals (88.9%) and had converted 12 straight before a 50-yard miss. His longest is from 52 yards. It was the longest by an ECU kicker since Ben Hartman’s 52-yard make in 2007. Barbour has set the ECU single-season record for points scored by a kicker with 104 (16 FGs, 56 PAT). Barbour’s 56 PAT are also a program single-year record.
Barth	Casey	North Carolina	Sr.	19	22	86.4	95	2010 All ACC honorable mention. Kicked the winning field goal in the Music City Bowl in double-overtime. Barth was reliable throughout the entire season, making 19-of-22 field goal attempts. Made 38-of-38 extra points on the season, scoring a total of 95 points in the 2010 season.
Beard	Rob	Oregon	Jr.	10	13	76.9	93	All-Pac-10 fourth team according to Phil Steele Publications. Ranked fourth in the Pac-10 and 36th nationally in scoring with an average of 8.08 points per game. Ranked eighth on the UO single-season scoring list with 97 points. Made his first eight field goal attempts of the season and finished 10-for-13 (76.9%), which was good for 10th in a single season at Oregon. Hit on his first 59 PAT kicks of the year before missing. Rushed for a pair of 2-point conversions, including one in the BCS Championship Game vs. Auburn.
Bonani	Maikon	USF	Jr.	17	21	81.0	69	Played in all 13 games. Handled the kickoff duties during the first 9 games and the place-kicking duties for the last 11 games. Made 17-of-21 field goal attempts. The 81.0 field goal percentage ranks first on USF’s single-season list and was second in the BIG EAST. The 17 made field goals ranks second on USF’s single-season list. Awarded BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week after making 47 and 21-yard field goals and converting two extra points against Rutgers.
Bullock	Randy	Texas A&M	Sr.	16	21	76.2	98	Selected All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for the 2010 college football season as selected by the Big 12 coaches. Scoring a total of 98 points with 16-of-21 field goal attempts, and a perfect 50-of-50 extra point attempts.
Conroy	Dan	Michigan St.	Jr.	14	15	93.3	87	A 2010 Lou Groza Award semi-finalist, Conroy went 14-of-15 in field goals to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media in his first year, as the starting place kicker. One of two recipients of the Tommy Love Award, which is awarded to the team’s most improved player. Named National Placekicker of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards on two occasions, and Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week in 2010.
Dimke	Derek	Illinois	Sr.	24	29	82.8	115	A 2010 Lou Groza Award semifinalist. Named Second-team All-Big Ten selection by coaches and honorable mention by media. Phil Steele’s first-team All-Big Ten. Hit 24-of-29 field goals and 43-of-43 extra points on the season. Scored 115 points in 2010, which ranks second on the Illinois season scoring list. 24 makes tied the Illinois season field goals record. Led Big Ten and ranked sixth in the nation in field goals (1.85 per game. Ranked third in the Big Ten in kick scoring. Ranked fifth in the Big Ten and 17th in the nation in overall scoring (8.8 ppg). Ranked fifth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (82.8).
Evans	Ross	TCU	Sr.	11	13	84.6	101	Appeared on the watch list for the Lou Groza Award, honoring the nation’s top placekicker. Ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in scoring with 101 points while tying for 48th nationally at 7.8 points per game. Set a TCU single-game record with nine extra points. Scored in double figures in the Frogs’ final three regular season games. Made his first eight field goal attempts of the season and kicked a season-long 43-yard field goal.
Ewald	Mitch	Indiana	So.	18	21	85.7	89	Earned co-Big Ten Special Teams and Freshman Player of the Week. Received honorable mention All-Big Ten from the league’s coaches. Recognized on CollegeFootballNews.com All-Freshman team. Selected to ESPN.com and Rivals.com All-Freshman teams. Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Farquhar	Trey	Idaho	Jr.	18	25	72.0	94	Named Verizon WAC Special Teams Player of the Week early in the 2010 season. Farquhar went on to finish 18-of-25 field goal attempts (72.0%) with 50 being his longest. Totaled 94 points as a sophomore.
Folk	Erik	Washington	Sr.	13	20	65.0	72	Named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week after the USC game. Named Academic All-Pac-10 honorable mention. Made 13-of-20 field goals and all 33 PAT attempts for the season. 68-for-68 on PATs for his career, the second-best record in Husky history.
Freese	Nate	Boston College	So.	22	25	88.0	90	Appeared in all 13 games. Went 20-for-23 on field goals during the 2010 year, and 23-for-24 on extra points. Ranks second on the Boston College single season field goals list with 20. First BC kicker to hit four field goals in two different games in the same season. Named to the Collegefootballnews.com Freshman All-America team.
Goessling	Kevin	Fresno State	Jr.	21	26	80.8	105	Two-time Groza Award semifinalist. All-WAC First Team for the 2010 college football season as selected by the WAC’s nine head coaches. A veteran returning as a three-year letter-winner, having hit on 21 field goals in 2010 to go along with 42 extra points.
Griffin	Jack	Florida Int’l	Jr.	17	20	85.0	96	Griffin was one of the best kickers in the Sun Belt last season, making 17-of-20 field goals attempted (85.0%). He also made all 45 PATs attempted to total up 96 points in the 2010 season.
Hocker	Zach	Arkansas	So.	16	19	84.2	104	Zach Hocker was perfect on all of his 56 extra point attempts while hitting 16-of-19 field goal attempts last season. The Razorback offense is the most potent in the SEC which makes Hocker a first-tier option in BCS leagues.
Hopkins	Dustin	Florida State	Jr.	22	28	78.6	119	A semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2010, which is presented to the nation’s top place kicker. A two-year starter, he has handled all of the kickoff, field goal and PAT kicks for the Seminoles. Scored a career-high 119 points, which led the team and the ACC and was the third-most in a single-season in FSU history. Hopkins is just the 10th kicker in FSU history to score 100 points in a season and the 12th player overall to eclipse the century mark.
Hrapmann	Danny	Southern Miss.	Jr.	26	31	83.9	133	A 2010 Lou Groza Award finalist. First-team All-America by the Walter Camp Foundation. He is first Golden Eagle and only second USM player overall to earn First-Team honors by that organization. Named second-team All-America by CBSSports.com. A first-team All-Conference USA selection at place kicker. Mid-season All-America pick by SI.com. A two-time Groza Award “Star of the Week”. C-USA’s Special Teams Player of the Week. Ranks No.1 on the Golden Eagle season chart for kicking points (129), field goals made (26) and extra points (51).Tied for first nationally in made field goals per game (2.17) and fifth in scoring (10.75). Tops Conference USA in field goal percentage (86.7%) and tied for first in PAT kick percentage (100%).
Jones	Aaron	Baylor	So.	19	27	70.4	103	A Semifinalist for Lou Groza Award in 2010. Earned All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Freshman honors following record-setting first season of competition. Walk-on won starting job in fall and kicked all field goals and extra points. Named honorable mention All-Big 12 (league coaches) and Big 12 All-Freshman (ESPN.com, Rivals.com). Earned honorable mention Freshman All-America honors from CollegeFootballNews.com. Garnered second-team Postseason All-Freshman honors from Phil Steele. Broke school’s single-season records for field goals made (19), scoring by kickers (103 points), field goals attempted (27), PATs attempted (47) and shares the PATs made record (46) with Jarvis Van Dyke. Averaged 1.46 field goals per game. Ranked fourth in Big 12 and tied for 17th nationally. With 7.92 points-per-game ranked eighth in Big 12 and 45th nationally.
Krautman	Ross	Syracuse	So.	18	19	94.7	84	Sporting News and Rivals.com Freshman All-American. All-BIG EAST Second Team selection. Phil Steele’s All-BIG EAST First Team selection. His 18 total field goals ties the SU single-season record. His 16 consecutive field goals made streak matches the Syracuse record for consecutive field goals. Tied for 21st nationally and tied for second among BIG EAST kickers with 1.38 field goals per game. His .947 field goal percentage ties the Syracuse single-season record and leads the BIG EAST. Ranks third among conference kickers with 6.5 points per game.
Perez	Abel	San Diego St.	Sr.	17	22	77.3	105	Selected All-Mountain West Second Team for the 2010 college football season as selected by the nine league head coaches and select media panel. SDSU junior place-kicker Abel Perez, in his first season on The Mesa, posted a league-best 28 touchbacks on kick offs and converted 17 of his 22 field-goal attempts (77.3 %). He leads the MWC in field goals per game (1.42) and in scoring (8.3 ppg.).
Ressel	Grant	Missouri	Sr.	17	19	89.5	96	A two-time Lou Groza Award semi-finalist, Ressel made a combined 96.2% (127-of-132) of his total kicks over the last two seasons (43-of-46 FGs & 84-of-86 PATs). His 213 career points stands as 6th-most in MU history entering the season, and he’s got a great chance of becoming only the 2nd 300-point scorer in Tiger history. All-Big 12 Honorable mention. ESPN/CoSIDA 1st-Team Academic All-District.
Rose	Bryson	Ole Miss	Jr.	16	18	88.9	91	Named first team Sophomore All-America by CollegeFootballNews.com. Served as the team’s placekicker in all 12 games. Finished third in the SEC with 1.33 field goals made per game. Ranked 10th in the SEC in scoring (7.6 ppg) and fifth among kickers. Connected on 16-of-18 field goals and 43-of-44 PATs in the 2010 season.
Ruffer	David	Notre Dame	GS.	18	19	94.7	91	Finalist for the 2010 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award. One of six fifth-year seniors on scholarship on 2011 Irish roster. Named to the 2010 First Team ESPN Academic All-America Football Team. Captured the 2010 Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award. Returning field goal kicker that converted 23 consecutive field goals to open career. The 23 straight field goals was the longest active streak in the FBS. Named John Folmer Most Valuable Special Teams Player at Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Stevens	Jimmy	Oklahoma	Sr.	19	23	82.6	110	Played in 12 games, serving as the backup kicker in the first three before returning to the starting lineup at Cincinnati. Stevens had the fifth-best single-season field goal total in OU history. Tied OU record for most points in a game by a kicker with 17. Stevens hit 12 of his last 13 field goals. Had at least 10 points in six games including the last four. Ranked No. 10 at OU in career points scored with 288 points. Named Academic All-Big 12 second team.
Synderwine	Will	Duke	Sr.	17	20	85.0	75	Snyderwine is a two-time Lou Groza Award semi-finalist. Received pre-season second team All-America accolades from Sporting News. Snyderwine enters his final season having made 38-of-44 (.864) field goals and all 56 of his PAT attempts. Among active players nationally, he ranks first in career field goals made per game (1.65) and third in career field goal percentage.
Teggart	Dave	UConn	Sr.	25	31	80.6	111	Selected All-BIG EAST First Team for the 2010 college football season as selected by a vote of the league’s eight head football coaches. Teggart, who was a perfect 36-for-36 on extra point attempts this season, converted 25 of his 31 field goals, including both attempts from 50-yards or more – both of which came in UConn’s 16-13 win over USF. Through the end of the regular season he led the BIG EAST in field goals made, averaging 1.92 per game.
Tucker	Justin	Texas	Sr.	23	27	85.2	96	Appeared in all 12 games. An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press . Converted 23-of-27 FG attempts (.852) and all 27 PAT attempts for 96 points. His 23 made FGs rank second on the UT single-season list and were sixth-most nationally in 2010, while his average of 1.92 made FG per game was fifth nationally.
Walsh	Blair	Georgia	Sr.	20	23	87.0	106	Named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2010 and a finalist in 2009. Named All-SEC First Team by SEC Coaches and Second Team by Associated Press, Phil Steele and Rivals.com. Appeared in 13 games going 20-for-23 on FGs and 46-for-47 on PATs while also kicking off 74 times for 4,875 yards (65.9 avg.) with 12 touchbacks. Ranked second in the SEC in field goals per game at 1.54.
Welch	Phillip	Wisconsin	Sr.	17	22	77.3	118	Consensus All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Named first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports and second-team by Phil Steele. Played in all 13 games. Owns school record with 67 extra points made and attempted in one season at UW, tied for best mark in school history with 100 percent accuracy on extra points. 118 points is most ever by a UW kicker and fourth-best for one season at UW. 17 field goals made and 22 field goals attempted each tied for sixth-most in one season at UW.
Zendejas	Alex	Arizona	Sr.	14	19	73.7	83	Cats’ leading scorer past two seasons with 172 points. Lou Groza Award watch list in 2010. Career 75% on field goals, among top 10 in UA history. Ranked No. 10 on UA career scoring chart in two years of kicking. Hit 14-of-19 FG tries (.734) in 2010 including three against UCLA to earn College Football Performance Awards national Place Kicker of the week.

After taking two-of-three from the Toronto Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox will finish up the homestand before the All-Star break starting tonight with a four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles.

Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and you can watch the game 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 don’t live in either market, you may be in luck as the MLB Network is scheduled to show the game in certain parts of the country as well. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

Andrew Miller will make his fourth start of 2011 for the Red Sox but it will be his first start against an American League team. His three previous starts against the NL saw him 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA. Miller has made only one career start against the Orioles that came as a member of the Florida Marlins in 2009. In that game, Miller received a no decision after allowing one run in seven innings of work in an eventual Marlins win.

Jake Arrieta makes his 18th start of 2011 campaign for Buck Showalter. In his previous 17 starts, Arrieta is 9-5 with a 4.74 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox in 2011 and his only career start came back in September of 2010. In that start back in Baltimore, Arrieta received a no decision after allowing three runs on six hits in five innings of work.

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

Here are this evening’s lineups:

36-48		51-35
1. J.J. Hardy	SS	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Nick Markakis	RF	2. Dustin Pedroia	2B
3. Adam Jones	CF	3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
4. Vladimir Guerrero	DH	4. Kevin Youkilis	3B
5. Matt Wieters	C	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. Derek Lee	1B	6. Josh Reddick	LF
7. Mark Reynolds	3B	7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
8. Nolan Reimold	C	8. J.D. Drew	R
9. Robert Andino	SS	9. Marco Scutaro	SS
Jake Arrieta	SP	Andrew Miller	SP

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

Check back and/or refresh often as more links will be added if/when they become available before game time.

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

Red Sox hoping Andrew Miller’s time is now [Clubhouse Insider]

Nation STATion: Talking baseball . . . to myself [CSNNE.com]

Dick Williams dies; architect of Red Sox ’67 rebirth [CSNNE.com]

Lester on injury: ‘It’s nothing serious’ [ESPN Boston]

Once again, Clemens is in the spotlight [Extra Bases]

Dick Williams, manager of the ‘Impossible Dream’ Red Sox, passes away [Extra Bases]

Pregame notes from Fenway Park [Extra Bases]

Is there a 3,000-hit candidate on the Red Sox roster? [Full Count]

Matt Wieters: Kevin Millwood ‘one of smartest pitchers I’ve ever caught’ [Full Count]

Red Sox notes: No word yet on Sunday starter [Full Count]

Which AL East Player Would You Most Like to Have on the Red Sox? [NESN.com]

Andrew Miller Suddenly a Key Cog in Red Sox’ Rotation, As Boston’s Pitchers Struggle to Stay Healthy [NESN.com]

Drew Sutton Turns to Yoga, Active Release Therapy to Alleviate Pain in Overused Muscles [NESN.com]

Video: Jim Rice, Darnell McDonald Discuss Green Monster’s Intricacies, How Wall Has Changed Over the Years [NESN.com]

Video: Jacoby Ellsbury’s Confidence, Comfort Making Difference in All-Star Season [NESN.com]

Strollin’ through the box score [Nuggetpalooza]

A Series Matter: Red Sox-Orioles and the First “Half” [Projo Sox Blog]

Patient plate approach sparked two-out rally [Projo Sox Blog]

Francona still mum on Sunday starter [Projo Sox Blog]

Jed Lowrie still making slow progress [Projo Sox Blog]

Miller looks to give Sox’s rotation shot in arm [RedSox.com]

Acquisitions enduring major first-half slumps [RedSox.com]

Curt Schilling: ‘There isn’t a team in the last 20 years that has won clean’ [Sporting News]

Photo credits: Getty Images, AP Photo

Like a fine wine, it appears that Tim Wakefield is getting better with age. Wake put up another fine performance on the mound last night as his effort and a little backing from the offense helped the Boston Red Sox to a 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

For Wakefield, it’s career win No. 198 and his 184th in a Red Sox uniform. He now trails Cy Young and Roger Clemens by just eight wins for the most overall in Red Sox history (both had 192).

After Terry Francona had to use the bullpen a little more than he wanted the past two nights, Wakefield needed to give the Red Sox some innings. Well he gave them seven of them, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk. He also picked up seven strikeouts while throwing 106 pitches. He even mixed in a few curveballs to get two of those strikeouts.

Early on was when the Jays did most of their damage. They would get three runs on seven hits in the first three innings. But after that Wake settled in and allowed two hits and a walk over his final four innings. It looked to me in his first three innings that the knuckleball was a little flat and up in the zone. But after that, he definitely made some kind of adjustments as the knuckler over the final four innings was like the difference between night and day.

Daniel Bard got the first two outs of the 8th before the rains came. Dan Wheeler came in after the 28 minute rain delay to retire the only batter he faced.

Jonathan Papelbon hit another another small bump in the road allowing a run on a hit by pitch and a single. He did strikeout the side though, one before the HBP, one before the single by Yunel Escobar and one after the single to end the game. Paps did have some good life on his fastball though and mixed in some nasty splitters.

Offensively, the Red Sox were without Adrian Gonzalez, who sat out the game with a stiff neck, but that really didn’t matter at all. They were going up against a pitcher in Ricky Romero that they’ve had great success against in the past. And that didn’t really change on Wednesday night either.

Jacoby Ellsbury showed once again why his peers voted him to the 2011 MLB All-Star game as his three hits were of the extra base variety. He started the game off with a solo home and then added two doubles and a stolen base plus three RBIs. Kevin Youkilis also added three extra base hits and the funny thing is they were in the same order. He had a home run to lead off the second inning then added two doubles.

Darnell McDonald‘s only hit of the night was good for an RBI that tied the game at three. Yamaico Navarro‘s only hit of the night was as an RBI double that put the Red Sox out in front for good.

On the team front, the Red Sox are now ½ behind the New York Yankees for first in the AL East after they fell to the Cleveland Indians. The Tampa Bay Rays remain 3.5 games back after beating the Minnesota Twins. And oh by the way, the best three records in the American League belong to the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays.

Before the Red Sox all-stars leave for Phoenix and the rest of the team scatters for parts unknown on Sunday, the Red Sox will welcome the Baltimore Orioles to Fenway Park for a four-game set. With the Rays and Yankees set to do battle for the next four days as well, now would be a good time for the Red Sox to beat up on the bottom feeders of the AL East. Right now the Red Sox are 2-2 against the Orioles this season.

We’ll be back later today with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and any links from the day. But for now, enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below.

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

Jacoby Ellsbury continues his powerful statement in 2011 [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Timely save [Boston Globe]

Buddin fielded criticism [Boston Globe]

Starting to look ugly [Boston Globe]

Lat lands Lester on the DL [Boston Globe]

Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis fill void [Boston Herald]

Tim Wakefield rides to rescue [Boston Herald]

A mound of woes [Boston Herald]

Jon Lester to DL; Clay Buchholz gets 2nd opinion [Boston Herald]

More injuries mean more worries for Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Updates on Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox rally past Jays, 6-4 [CSNNE.com]

Farrell: Pitch execution root of Lackey’s struggles [CSNNE.com]

Wakefield taking it one win at a time [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Ellsbury doing it all as of late [CSNNE.com]

Rapid Reaction: Sox 6, Jays 3 [ESPN Boston]

Bard continues to fire blanks [ESPN Boston]

Video: BBTN on Lester’s absence [ESPN Boston]

Tim Wakefield, Jacoby Ellsbury play key roles for Boston Red Sox [ESPN Boston]

Video: Peter Abraham on Red Sox-Blue Jays finale [Extra Bases]

Closing time: Ellsbury, Sox roll over Romero, Jays [Full Count]

Tim Wakefield is ‘very proud’ of what’s he’s done this year [Full Count]

After a ‘needed day off’ Kevin Youkilis comes back swinging [Full Count]

Video: Terry Francona Says Jon Lester ‘Optimistic’ Regarding Injury, Thinks They Need to ‘Take it Easy’ on Lefty [NESN.com]

Video: Red Sox’ Great Depth Has Been Important, But They Need to Get Healthy Prior to Stretch Run [NESN.com]

Video: Jacoby Ellsbury’s 2011 Power Surge Continues As All-Star Helping to Keep Red Sox Near Top of AL East [NESN.com]

Video: Tim Wakefield Continues to Show Reliability, Consistency Amidst Unpredictable Season [NESN.com]

Video: Jarrod Saltalamacchia Says Tim Wakefield Deserves to Be in Rotation, Was Best He’s Seen Against Blue Jays [NESN.com]

Red Sox Get Positive News on Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, But Still No Timetable for Return for Either [NESN.com]

Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis Fuel Red Sox Win in First Game Without Adrian Gonzalez [NESN.com]

Sox rock Jays’ Romero again [Providence Journal]

Sox have mounds of confidence in pitching depth [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Lester lands on 15-day DL [Providence Journal]

Mr. Reliable: Wakefield stymies Blue Jays [RedSox.com]

Ellsbury bouncing back with solid 2011 first half [RedSox.com]

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

And if you must check out the enemy papers, head over to the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun and the Globe and Mail websites.

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 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.

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

Tyler Olander At Greater Hartford Pro-Am [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Roscoe Smith Looking Strong [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

41 Games In 41 Days – Game 1, Stony Brook [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Pro-Am Opening Night, UConn Connection [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Lamb has 25 more points as U.S. falls in U19 World’s [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

Under Construction [Slam Online]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Even Kalana Greene Didn’t Know This Answer [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Mailbag: The Day Is Complete – A Caroline Doty Question [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

A Look Back At 2010-11 – A Presidential Pounding [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Mosqueda-Lewis Heading To Hollywood Next Week [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

All Access With Maya Moore [WNBA.com]

UConn Football links

Big East mailblog [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Big East position rankings: Linebackers [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

UConn RB, Special Teams Coach White And Wife Proud Parents [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Spotlight On A UConn Football Opponent: South Florida [Hartford Courant]

Nova High 2012 CB Lanier off to UConn [SunSentinel.com]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. David Berard Named Men’s Hockey Assistant Coach [UConnHuskies.com]

After beating the Toronto Blue Jays last night, the Boston Red Sox look to take the rubber game of a three-game set in the series finale tonight at Fenway Park.

Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and you can watch the game on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Blue Jays television market, you can catch the game on Rogers SportsNet. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

Tim Wakefield goes in search of career win No. 198 again in his 11th start (20th appearance) of 2011 for Terry Francona. In his previous 19 appearances (10 starts), Wake is 4-3 with a 4.82 ERA. Both of his appearances this season against the Jays have come out of the pen. In those two relief outings, Wake has no record with a 3.86 ERA (5 ER/10.1 IP). He’s made 56 career appearances (42 starts) against the Blue Jays and is 17-14 with a 3.87 ERA. 29 of those appearances (23 starts) have come at the Fens where he is 11-9 with a 3.36 ERA.

Ricky Romero has struggled in 10 career starts against the Red Sox. In those starts, he is 2-5 with a 7.69 ERA. Five of those career starts have come at the Fens where he is 2-2 with a 5.53 ERA.  He took the loss against the Red Sox in his only start against them season after allowing five runs in 4.1 innings back in April. On the season, Romero is 7-7 with a 2.75 ERA in 17 starts.

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

Here are this evening’s lineups:

42-45		50-35
1. Yunel Escobar	CF	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Eric Thames	LF	2.  Marco Scutaro	SS
3. Jose Bautista	3B	3. Dustin Pedroia	2B
4. Adam Lind	1B	4. David Ortiz	DH
5. Edwin Encarnacion	DH	5. Kevin Youkilis	1B
6. Aaron Hill	2B	6. J.D. Drew	RF
7. Travis Snider	RF	7. Darnell McDonald	LF
8. J. P. Arencibia	C	8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
9. Rajai Davis	CF	9. Yamaico Navarro	3B
Ricky Romero	SP	Tim Wakefield	SP

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

Notes: Scott Atchison was called up to replace Jon Lester on the DL with a lat strain.

Check back and/or refresh often as more links will be added if/when they become available before game time.

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

Why Jays ace Ricky Romero is rooting for a Red Sox draftee [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Jon Lester headed to the disabled list [Clubhouse Insider]

Adrian Gonzalez goes to the bench for first time this season [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox can’t escape the pain [CSNNE.com]

Francona: Sox leaning toward putting Lester on DL [CSNNE.com]

Gonzalez given night off vs. Blue Jays [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Lester to DL, Gonzalez (neck) out tonight [CSNNE.com]

Jacoby Ellsbury Answers Last Year’s Critics by Making First All-Star Team [Don Orsillo – ESPN.com]

Video: State of the Nation with Gordon Edes [ESPN Boston]

Holding our breath on Lester [ESPN Boston]

What if Lester needs to go on the DL? [ESPN Boston]

Lester to miss Sun. start; no further update [ESPN Boston]

Red Sox put Lester on DL [ESPN Boston]

Sox target July 18 for Crawford’s return [ESPN Boston]

Gonzalez sits as Wake, Sox take on Blue Jays [ESPN Boston]

Keeping the fans informed at Fenway [Extra Bases]

A few thoughts on selecting All-Stars [Extra Bases]

Pregame news: Lester to DL [Extra Bases]

Jerry Remy on D&C: Injury-depleted Sox need to keep John Lackey in rotation [Full Count]

Schilling on M&M: Sox lack options with Lackey [Full Count]

Gammons: Lackey ‘a perplexing problem’ [Full Count]

Transcript of Terry Francona on The Big Show: Jon Lester won’t pitch Sunday, DL possible [Full Count]

Red Sox notes: Post All-Star break return for Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez has a stiff neck [Full Count]

Is Jason Varitek a Hall of Famer? [NESN.com]

Jon Lester’s Injury, Derek Jeter’s Milestone, Phil Hughes’ Return This Week’s Hottest AL East Items (Video) [NESN.com]

Carl Crawford May Not Return to Red Sox Lineup Until July 18 [NESN.com]

Jon Lester Placed on 15-Day Disabled List Due to Left Lat Strain [NESN.com]

Chiang Named June Player of the Month [OurSports Central]

Travis Shaw Named NYPL Player of the Week [OurSports Central]

You can never have too much . . . [Projo Sox Blog]

Crawford likely to rehab with PawSox after All-Star break [Projo Sox Blog]

Lester DL’ed, Atchison called up [Projo Sox Blog]

Gonzalez sits, Youkilis moves over to first base [Projo Sox Blog]

Red Sox officials huddle to discuss Buchholz [Projo Sox Blog]

Wakefield inching closer to 200-win plateau [RedSox.com]

Red Sox place Lester on disabled list [RedSox.com]

Sox take conservative approach with Crawford [RedSox.com]

Stiff neck keeps Adrian out of Boston’s lineup [RedSox.com]

The Ladder: 7.6.11 [SoxProspects.com]

Photo credits: AP Photo, AP Photo

Here’s the release from UConn about tight end Ryan Griffin being named to the John Makey Award watch list.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – University of Connecticut junior tight end Ryan Griffin (Londonderry, N.H.) has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2011 John Mackey Award preseason released by the Nassau County Sports Commission.

Given annually to the best collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by a vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2011 John Mackey winner will be presented live at the Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on December 8, 2011 at 6 p.m. EST on ESPNU.

Griffin has been UConn’s starting tight end for the past two seasons as he has played in 24 games with 18 starts. He was a very productive blocker in both the rushing and passing games in 2011.

Griffin earned an Offensive Game Ball following the Pittsburgh win (Nov. 11) along with other blockers in recognition of UConn’s 265 rushing yards, including 222 by Jordan Todman. Griffin has three pass receptions for 21 yards in regular season finale at USF as UConn clinched a berth in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – its first-ever BCS game.

NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.

The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists ten NFL players as alumni: Dallas Clark (’01) of the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham (’02), Kellen Winslow II (’03) of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller (’04) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis (’05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, 2008 Super Bowl Champion Matt Spaeth (’06), Fred Davis (’07) of the Washington Redskins, Chase Coffman (’08) of the Cincinnati Bengals, Aaron Hernandez (’09) of the New England Patriots and the 2010 John Mackey Award recipient D.J. Williams of the Green Bay Packers.

Click on the read more button below to see the full list if you’re on the home page.

The following is a complete list of the watch list:

Dwayne Allen	Clemson	Jr
Brandon Barden	Vanderbilt	Sr
Tim Biere	Kansas	Sr
Ted Bolser	Indiana	So
George Bryan	NC State	Sr
Orson Charles	Georgia	Jr
Josh Chichester	Louisville	Sr
Jack Doyle	WKU	Jr
Drake Dunsmore	Northwestern	Sr
Kyle Efaw	Boise St	Sr
Michael Egnew	Missouri	Sr
Tyler Eifert	Notre Dame	So
Rhett Ellison	USC	Sr
Coby Fleener	Stanford	Sr
Ladarius Green	Louisiana	Sr
Ryan Griffin	Connecticut	Jr
Joe Halahuni	Oregon St	Sr
Cooper Helfet	Duke	Sr
DC Jefferson	Rutgers	Jr
Kevin Koger	Michigan	Sr
Eric Lair	Minnesota	Sr
Brian Linthicum	Michigan St	Sr
Philip Lutzenkirchen	Auburn	Jr
Anthony Miller	California	Sr
Chris Pantale	Boston College	Jr
David Paulson	Oregon	Sr
Colter Phillips	Virginia	Jr
Nick Provo	Syracuse	Sr
Lucas Reed	New Mexico	Jr
Kyler Reed	Nebraska	Jr
Evan Rodriguez	Temple	Sr
Jake Stoneburner	Ohio St	Jr
Michael Williams	Alabama	Jr
Luke Willson	Rice	Jr

Yesterday we learned from Darren Rovell of CNBC that former UConn Huskies All-American and Charlotte Bobcats draftee Kemba Walker had signed an endorsement deal with Under Armour.  I do wonder how is new boss Michael Jordan feels about this since MJ is Mr. Nike after all.

Here’s the official press release from Under Armour:

Under Armour (NYSE:UA), the leading athletic performance apparel, footwear and accessories brand, today announced a multi-year partnership with decorated college basketball star and incoming NBA rookie Kemba Walker. Selected with the ninth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats, Walker engineered a prolific junior season, where he led the University of Connecticut to the 2011 NCAA National Championship and 2011 Big East Tournament Championship.

“Kemba has proven himself to be the ultimate winner, and as we continue to build our presence in the basketball world we’re thrilled to have him join the Under Armour team,” said Matt Mirchin, Senior Vice President, Sports Marketing, Under Armour. “He’s electrifying on the court, and his dedication to hard work and humility off the court are just as impressive.”

After a celebrated high school career, The Bronx, NY native dominated the college basketball world last year, winning Most Outstanding Player awards for both the 2011 Big East and NCAA Tournaments. Ignited by his scoring and playmaking, Walker’s Huskies punctuated an improbable winning streak by claiming the 2011 NCAA Tournament Championship.

“As a young player paving my own path to the game, teaming up with Under Armour feels like a great fit,” said Walker. “From what I see they are the next up and coming basketball brand. They bring a freshness and a new energy to the game of basketball.”

Walker set a new UCONN single-season scoring record with 965 points, earning First Team All Big East and All-American honors and claiming the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard. Walker joins 2010 Heisman Trophy Winner Cam Newton, All-America football player Julio Jones and Bryce Harper, the first pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, as the newest members to the Under Armour team.

Walker will wear UA footwear for training and on-court and will be featured, along with Brandon Jennings, in upcoming marketing campaigns for Under Armour Basketball.

Follow Walker on Twitter @KembaWalker and Under Armour @UnderArmour.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

About Under Armour, Inc.
Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and     Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at http://www.underarmour.com.

About Kemba Walker
Coming off of a stellar college basketball career, wherein he led the University of Connecticut in winning the coveted NCAA Championship, standout Kemba Walker was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft. The All-American earned numerous accolades during his UCONN tenure, including 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Big East Tournament MVP and the Bob Cousy Award, presented to the top point guard in the nation. An integral component of the UCONN squad, Walker, who graduated college in three years, was added to the Huskies of Honor following the team’s Championship victory. A Bronx, N.Y., native, he attended Rice High School and competed on the New York Gauchos AAU team, which went on to finish No. 1 in the nation that year. In addition to his basketball prowess, Walker is a talented dancer, and has performed three times at the Apollo Theater. For more information, visit kembawalker.com.

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.

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

Jeremy Lamb Explodes For 35 Points In USA Victory Over Latvia [UConnHuskies.com]

Jeremy Lamb’s heroics lift Team USA past Lithuania [CT Post]

President wants Jim Calhoun to return [New Haven Register]

Under Armour Signs Kemba Walker [SportsBiz with Darren Rovell]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Cash, Charles honored by WNBA [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

UConn Football links

Maxwell, Bednarik watch Lists [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Big East position rankings: Defensive line [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Defendant in Jasper Howard case granted probation [CT Post]

UConn Football: Evaluating Left Guard [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. Five Men’s Hockey Players Earn All-Academic Honors [UConnHuskies.com]

Obviously Darnell McDonald throwing out Edwin Encarnacion with an assist from Jason Varitek was an exciting way to end the Boston Red Sox’s 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. But the news of Jon Lester leaving his start with a lat strain was disconcerting to say the least.

I won’t rehash what I said last night but it was obvious that Lester was in the midst of another great start. He struck out four of the first six batters he faced and had an electric fastball. He departed after four innings due to the lat strain he suffered during the 4th.

While he said after the game he thinks he’ll only miss one start, I think he ends up on the disabled list for 15 days. Remember folks, this is the same injury that cost Matt Albers two weeks earlier in the season. It could end up that he won’t go on the DL but after using the bullpen the past two nights, it wouldn’t surprise if the Red Sox put him there just to get someone up to help in the bullpen.

Speaking of the bullpen, they were pretty good last night. Of course I say that and you look at the fact that Jonathan Papelbon gave up a two-run homer to Jose Bautista and then saw McDonald and Tek save his on the final play of the game.

But before that, Albers went two innings allowing a hit and two walks with two strikeouts. Franklin Morales followed that up with a perfect inning with Daniel Bard coming in for the 8th and walking one while striking out one. And we all saw the adventures of #heartattackpapelbon so no need to go there again.

Brett Cecil would go the whole way for the Jays and the three runs the Red Sox got early would stand up against him. Two of them would come in the 2nd inning.

David Ortiz led off with a double and went to third on a McDonald ground out. The Captain brought him home with a double of his own and J.D. Drew got Tek home with a single to push the lead to 2-0. The Red Sox got their other run on a Dustin Pedroia home run in the 4th inning.

While the scoring was at a premium for the Red Sox, the bullpen definitely stepped up to help the Red Sox get back in the column. And it was a win that was needed with the New York Yankees beating the Cleveland Indians last night.

We do have some concern here in Red Sox Nation if Lester misses any significant amount of time. The Red Sox are already down Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz. And of course there’s the ineffective Dice-K John Lackey. And that’s not to mention that Kevin Youkilis missed last night’s game after being hit with a pitch the night before. Plus Jed Lowrie and Carl Crawford are on the DL as well.

It does look like Youk will return tonight and we’ll know more about Buchholz later in the day as he is currently in North Carolina getting his balky back looked at. Crawford could be close as well but right now the offense has been ok. It’s the pitching that worries me, especially the bullpen after using it the past two nights.

But these Red Sox are a resilient bunch and I’m sure things will be just fine.

We’ll be back later today with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and any links from the day. But for now, enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below.

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

What Jon Lester’s injury means for the Red Sox [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Thrown a scare [Boston Globe]

Aiming to contribute, he did [Boston Globe]

Clemens already in a jam before start [Boston Globe]

Cameron sent to Marlins [Boston Globe]

Jon Lester’s early exit mars win [Boston Herald]

Participants replay final out [Boston Herald]

Bullpen answers call [Boston Herald]

Dustin Pedroia all 4 new role [Boston Herald]

Smart money’s on Jacoby Ellsbury [Boston Herald]

Getting plunked not a big hit with Kevin Youkilis [Boston Herald]

If Lester goes to the DL … [Clubhouse Insider]

Out at the plate! Or was he? [Clubhouse Insider]

Saltalamacchia: Ellsbury has something to prove [CSNNE.com]

Bautista: ‘Great honor’ to be picked for HR Derby [CSNNE.com]

Source: Lester (lat strain) will be out two weeks [CSNNE.com]

Red Sox survive to beat Blue Jays, 4-2 [CSNNE.com]

Youkilis wants to wear shoes during All-Star break [CSNNE.com]

Notes: McDonald, Varitek connect in the clutch [CSNNE.com]

Rapid Reaction: Sox 3, Jays 2 [ESPN Boston]

Pedroia cleans up again [ESPN Boston]

Good to the last block [ESPN Boston]

Video: Francona, Lester talk about injury [ESPN Boston]

Video: BBTN on Lester [ESPN Boston]

Sox take stock of Wily Mo Pena HR Derby Campaign [Full Count]

Closing Time: Red Sox best Blue Jays; Lester leaves with injury [Full Count]

Lester on lat strain: ‘I don’t think this is going to be an issue’ [Full Count]

Make no mistake, John Farrell thinks the ump blew the game-ending call [Full Count]

Video: Jon Lester’s Dominant Start Derailed by Lat Strain, Terry Francona Says Further Evaluation Needed [NESN.com]

Video: Jon Lester Not Worried About Lat Injury, Says He ‘Should Be Fine’ [NESN.com]

Jon Lester Confident Injury Won’t Become Long-Term Issue, Terry Francona Says Lefty Will Be Examined ‘Extensively’ [NESN.com]

David Ortiz Praises Dustin Pedroia’s Love for the Game After Red Sox Win [NESN.com]

Game-Ending Play at the Plate Creates Tale of Two Clubhouses Following Red Sox Win [NESN.com]

Red Sox Get Another Boost From Bullpen in Win Over Toronto After Jon Lester’s Early Exit [NESN.com]

Drew Sutton Turns to Yoga, Active Release Therapy to Alleviate Pain in Overused Muscles [NESN.com]

Sox win game, but lose Lester [Providence Journal]

DH controversy not going away soon [Providence Journal]

This All-Star Game is the best, but it could be better [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Ineffective Cameron finds home with Marlins [Providence Journal]

Solid effort [Providence Journal]

Morales making big strides in Sox’s bullpen [RedSox.com]

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

And if you must check out the enemy papers, head over to the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun and the Globe and Mail websites.

Photo credit: Getty Images