Well it definitely wasn’t the return that Carl Crawford was hoping to have in his return to his old stomping grounds at Tropicana Field. He ended up going 0-for-3 against his old team the Tampa Bay Rays.

But more importantly, the Boston Red Sox saw their nine-game hitting streak come to an end with a 4-0 loss to the right arm of James Shields and the Rays on Tuesday night.

It’s not like the Red Sox didn’t have chances against Shields who allowed just five hits and three walks while picking up the complete game win. They did get them but obviously from looking at the final score, they didn’t take advantage of them.

The Red Sox had Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez at first and third base with one out in the 1st inning before Shields struck Kevin Youkilis. After a walk to David Ortiz, the aforementioned Crawford grounded out to Casey Kotchman to end the threat.

In 3rd inning, Ellsbury led off the inning with a single which extended his hitting streak to 11 games. After Dustin Pedroia flew out, Gonzalez picked up his second single of the night. This time the inning ended when Youk grounded into a inning-ending double play.

Then in the 5th inning after a J.D. Drew single, Marco Scutaro flew out to center. The inning ended when Shields induced an inning-ending double play off the bat of Ellsbury. Pretty much the same thing happended in the sixth inning after Gonzalez’s third single of the night when Youk grounded into his second inning-ending double play of the game.

The Red Sox would only get one more chance in the 8th but they wasted a one out walk to Scutaro by seeing Ellsbury flying out and Pedroia striking out.

And it wasn’t like Tim Wakefield was all that bad.

Up until the 5th inning, he matched zeroes with Shields until Justin Ruggiano took a knuckler out of the park. The Rays added another run in the 6th on the strength of two passed balls by Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Tommy Hottovy struggled for the first since being called up as he gave up a double to Matthew Joyce in the 8th and then hit Evan Longoria. Kotchman chased him from the game with a RBI single. Alfredo Aceves came in and after recording an out, gave up an RBI single to John Jaso that provided the final margin.

Just another night of missed opportunities for the Red Sox. And with Shields having his changeup really working for him, it made the job all that harder for the Red Sox. Maybe it was the day off that killed the momentum, maybe it wasn’t.

But when you look at things, the Red Sox still are 9-1 in their last 10 games and 9-2 for the month of June. The lead is still 2.5 games over the Yankees who won and 3.5 games over the Rays.

We’ll be back later with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups 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.

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

For Red Sox, Miller ‘dilemma’ is a luxury [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Shields silences Red Sox [Boston Globe]

Maddon beams about Rays [Boston Globe]

Julien fan base hits home [Boston Globe]

Miller on the way up? [Boston Globe]

Carl, Sox come up empty [Boston Herald]

No consolation for Wake [Boston Herald]

Bruins’ Game 7 brings back memories for Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Decision day for Miller [Boston Herald]

No love lost between Rays fans, Carl Crawford [Boston Herald]

Anything but a normal day for Carl Crawford [Boston Herald]

Rays snap Red Sox’ streak, 4-0 [CSNNE.com]

Nation STATion: Red Sox revolve around Gonzalez [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Crawford’s return gets mixed reaction [CSNNE.com]

Rapid reaction: Rays 4, Red Sox 0 [ESPN Boston]

Tampa Bay Rays moving on after Carl Crawford’s departure [ESPN Boston]

Closing Time: Sox winning streak stopped by ‘Big Game James’ in Tampa Bay [Full Count]

Team sources: No decision on Miller until after Wednesday meeting [Full Count]

Miller on opt-out decision: ‘It would be a shame not to keep it going’ with Sox [Full Count]

What Is Your Fondest Manny Ramirez Home Run Moment? [NESN.com]

James Shields Provides Prime Example of How Tampa Bay Can Remain in AL East Race [NESN.com]

Video: Tim Wakefield Battles Control Issues As James Shields Shuts Down Red Sox [NESN.com]

Red Sox Continue Decade of Dominance With 2007 World Series Title [NESN.com]

Shields in shutdown mode [Providence Journal]

Carl Crawford hears heckles upon return to Tampa Bay [Providence Journal]

Small-market Rays again coming up big [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Andrew Miller has tough decision to make [Providence Journal]

Crawford’s homecoming doesn’t go as planned [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 the to St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune websites.

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 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

All is Right with Ryan Boatright [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Coombs-McDaniel Visits Hofstra; Missouri Next [Jeff Goodman – CBSSports.com]

RTC NBA Draft Profiles: Kemba Walker [Rush The Court]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

How Is Maya Moore Doing? Glad You Asked [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

UConn Football links

DC answered a question about recruiting in his mailbag [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Recruit John Green: Jensen Beach Falcon T&F Classic Results [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Commitment No.3: Free Safety Obi Melifonwu [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Athlon Sports Preseason Magazine: Plenty Of UConn Props [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Another One: UConn Recruit No.4 WR Neally Cunningham [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

UConn Recruit No.5 in Class of 2012: Jon Hicks PA Linebacker [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Huskies getting some national love [Joe Perez – Norwich Bulletin]

Preseason magazines coming out; Athlon up (almost) first [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

UConn Huskies Football Opponent: Vanderbilt [Hartford Courant]

After taking winning their last nine straight games, including the past six on the road, the Boston Red Sox look to keep those streaks alive in the first game of a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

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 Rays television market, you can catch the game on Sun Sports. If you don’t live in either market you’re in luck as the game will be broadcast on the MLB Network. 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 steps to the hill for his seventh start (16th appearance) of the season for Terry Francona. In his previous 15 appearances (six starts), Wake is 3-1 with a 4.84 ERA. He’s made one appearance against the Rays in 2011 and was knocked around a little bit. He allowed five runs (four earned) in 3.1 innings back on April 11th. Wake’s made 45 appearances (34 starts) against the Rays in his career and is 21-7 with a 3.78 ERA and three saves. 25 of those appearances (19 starts) have come at the Trop where he is 10-4 with a 3.40 ERA and three saves.

James Shields looks to bring the Rays closer to the Red Sox in the AL East standings in his 14th start of 2011. In his previous 13 starts, Shields is 5-4 with a 2.85 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox yet in 2011 and was 2-2 with a 4.78 ERA in four starts against them in 2010. Shields has made 16 career starts against the Red Sox and is 5-9 with a 5.17 ERA. In six starts at the Trop against the Red Sox, Shields is 4-2 with a 3.25 ERA.

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

Here are tonight’s lineups:

39-26		35-31
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Johnny Damon	DH
2. Dustin Pedroia	2B	2. Ben Zobrist	2B
3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	3. Matt Joyce	RF
4. Kevin Youkilis	3B	4. Evan Longoria	3B
5. David Ortiz	DH	5. Casey Kotchman	1B
6. Carl Crawford	LF	6. B.J. Upton	CF
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	7. John Jaso	C
8. J.D. Drew	RF	8. Justin Ruggiano	LF
9. Marco Scutaro	SS	9. Reid Brignac	SS
Tim Wakefield	SP	James Shields	SP

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

Darnell McDonald has been activated from the 15-day DL. To make room on the roster for him, Drew Sutton was optioned back to Triple-A Pawtucket.

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

Agent: ‘Win-win situation thus far’ between Andrew Miller, Red Sox [Clubhouse Insider]

Epstein to meet with Miller; Rays were ‘party central’ to Crawford [Clubhouse Insider]

Notes: McDonald back with the Red Sox [CSNNE.com]

Deadline looms for Andrew Miller [ESPN Boston]

Better lineup bringing out best in Gonzalez [ESPN Boston]

Crawford’s improvement vs. righties [ESPN Boston]

Francona makes the right call — to Julien [ESPN Boston]

Sox activate Darnell McDonald [ESPN Boston]

Boston Red Sox haven’t approached David Ortiz about future [ESPN Boston]

What does the future hold for David Ortiz? [Extra Bases]

Podcast: Streaking into summer [Extra Bases]

Pregame news from Tropicana Field [Extra Bases]

Andrew Miller, Red Sox arrive at potential crossroads [Full Count]

Red Sox set to call up left-hander Andrew Miller [HardBall Talk]

Cool, collected Crawford returns to St. Pete [MLB.com]

MLB Appropriately Installing Concussion Protocols As Head Injuries in Baseball Continue to Grow [NESN.com]

Carl Crawford Deserves High Praise in Return to Tampa Bay [NESN.com]

Jerry Remy Discusses Carl Crawford’s Return to Tampa [NESN.com]

Carl Crawford Would Love Another Six-Steal Performance, This Time for Red Sox [NESN.com]

30 Clubs/30 Nuggets [Nuggetpalooza]

Red Sox Announce Plans To Return Fenway To Original 1912 Conditions [Onion Sports Network]

A Series Matter: Red Sox-Rays and the Quest for the Perfect Road Trip [Projo Sox Blog]

Theo Epstein to sit down with minor-league lefty Andrew Miller [Projo Sox Blog]

McDonald back, ready to see more playing time [Projo Sox Blog]

Boston aiming for perfect 10 behind Wakefield [RedSox.com]

Decision looming for southpaw Miller, Red Sox [RedSox.com]

McDonald sharpened skills while on rehab stint [RedSox.com]

Photo credits: Getty Images, AP Photo

When the updated AL All-Star voting totals came out last week, we found one member of the Boston Red Sox in David Ortiz in a starting position. Well after another week of voting, there are two players from the Red Sox who could start in the 2011 MLB All-Star Game in Arizona in July.

After trailing Mark Teixeira by 65,000 votes last week, Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has jumped in first and leads Teixeira by around 250,000 votes. Big Papi has increased his lead at DH to about 550,000 votes over Michael Young from the Texas Rangers.

The big shock to me is the fact that after not being listed for the first two weeks, Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia has jumped into fourth place in the voting at catcher. But he stills trails Yankees catcher Russell Martin by about 950,000 votes.

Kevin Youkilis has jumped into third place at third base and now trails Alex Rodriguez by 670,000 votes. Dustin Pedroia remains in second place at second but trails Robinson Cano by 1.1 million votes.

In the outfield, Jacoby Ellsbury has moved ahead of Ichiro Suzuki into fourth place and is just 352,000 votes behind Josh Hamilton for the final starting position. Carl Crawford jumped up a spot to sixth but trails Hamilton by 577,000 votes.  J.D. Drew also jumped three spots to No. 10 and trails Hamilton by over one million votes.

We’ve got two starters so far and we need to keep it this way. It would also be nice to see Ellsbury sneak in there as well. I’ve done my part with multiple email addresses and now you need to do the same.

Since the Red Sox are partnering up with the San Francisco Giants in the NL, be sure to Vote the Ticket! and get our boys to starting positions at the 2011 MLB All-Star Game.

For a full look at the vote totals, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page

2011 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR BALLOTING (as of June 14)

CATCHER

Russell Martin, Yankees: 1,712,156

Alex Avila, Tigers: 1,093,070

Joe Mauer, Twins: 1,041,798

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Red Sox: 763,607

Yorvit Torrealba, Rangers: 751,858

FIRST BASE

Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox: 2,027,537

Mark Teixeira, Yankees: 1,774,024

Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: 1,295,547

Mitch Moreland, Rangers: 692,670

Paul Konerko, White Sox: 507,547

SECOND BASE

Robinson Cano, Yankees: 2,649,737

Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox: 1,518,231

Ian Kinsler, Rangers: 1,129,023

Orlando Cabrera, Indians: 732,308

Ben Zobrist, Rays: 633,533

THIRD BASE

Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: 2,063,520

Adrian Beltre, Rangers: 1,752,729

Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox: 1,381,381

Evan Longoria, Rays: 1,226,770

Maicer Izturis, Angels: 364,623

SHORTSTOP

Derek Jeter, Yankees: 1,931,670

Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians: 1,647,802

Elvis Andrus, Rangers: 1,180,962

Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays: 640,395

Jhonny Peralta, Tigers: 540,601

DESIGNATED HITTER

David Ortiz, Red Sox: 1,974,918

Michael Young, Rangers: 1,428,833

Jorge Posada, Yankees: 810,672

Travis Hafner, Indians: 691,205

Johnny Damon, Rays: 672,529

OUTFIELD

Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: 3,042,091

Curtis Granderson, Yankees: 2,406,946

Josh Hamilton, Rangers: 1,799,339

Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox: 1,447,715

Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: 1,231,035

Carl Crawford, Red Sox: 1,222,687

Nelson Cruz, Rangers: 1,123,608

Nick Swisher, Yankees: 937,365

Brett Gardner, Yankees: 796,905

J.D. Drew, Red Sox: 778,871

Jeff Francoeur, Royals: 752,687

Grady Sizemore, Indians: 739,930

Matt Joyce, Rays: 737,377

Shin-Soo Choo, Indians: 642,387

David Murphy, Rangers: 622,160

Just how hot are the Boston Red Sox right now? Well they’re so hot that were able to increase their lead in the AL East by a ½ game on both the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

Actually we have the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers to thank for that but given how strong the AL East is, you’ll take them any way you can get them. The Red Sox lead over the Yanks in the AL East is now 2.5 games while it’s 4.5 games over the third place Rays, who just happen to the local nine’s opponents for the next three days.

The Red Sox come into the Trop tonight as winners of nine straight games after outscoring the Toronto Blue Jays 35-6 over three games. In those nine straight wins, the Red Sox have swept their last three opponents including two straight sweeps on the road.

This was a big 10-day nine-game road trip through the AL East and at 6-0, it can be considered a success. But what would make it a little more sweeter is a three-game sweep of the Rays. Heck even two out of three wouldn’t be so bad considering the struggles have had in the Trop the past few seasons.

The Sox are 7-11 in the past two seasons at the Trop going 4-5 last year and 3-6 in 2009. The Red Sox actually took the first three games at the Trop last year before losing five of the last six. Overall in the past two seasons, the Red Sox are 16-20 against their rivals.

Sure every game is important but when it comes to the AL East, they’re even more important. So while a sweep these next three days would be nice, I’ll take two wins before heading back to Boston to start up interleague play again.

A side note to watch is the fact that Carl Crawford returns back to Tampa for the first time since signing with the Red Sox. It will be interesting to see what type of reaction he gets from the Rays faithful.

We’ll be back later with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups 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.

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

Welcome mat for Crawford? [Boston Globe]

Aceves applies himself [Boston Globe]

Carl Crawford’s return might not cause ripple [Boston Herald]

Jacoby Ellsbury strongest of week [Boston Herald]

Relievers accept fate [Boston Herald]

PawSox hurler Weiland showng promise [CSNNE.com]

Andrew Miller may soon join Red Sox’ rotation [CSNNE.com]

Nation STATion: Dissecting Dice-K [CSNNE.com]

Lundblad: Sox offense on tear during streak [ESPN Boston]

Video: State of the Nation [ESPN Boston]

Power Rankings: Sox up to No. 1 [ESPN Boston]

A team rolling and two players on different paths [Extra Bases]

Morales pitches in second rehab game [Extra Bases]

Report: Red Sox eighth-rounder Senquez Golson unlikely to sign [Full Count]

Sox near deals with seven draft picks [Full Count]

Lavarnway continues steady rise in Red Sox system [Full Count]

Crawford’s Return To Tampa Anything But Just Another Game [Hartford Courant]

Red Sox, BHCHP Teaming Up for ‘Sox for Socks’ Program at Fenway Park July 9-10 [NESN.com]

Red Sox Break 86-Year Drought in 2004, Able to Make Easy Case for Best Sox Team Ever [NESN.com]

Red Sox Mailbag: 2011 Sox Starting to Show Similarities to 2007 World Champion Team [NESN.com]

Fenway Park Undergoes Renovation in 1933, Construction of Green Monster Begins [NESN.com]

How the Red Sox pitched to Bautista [Projo Sox Blog]

Off-day Red Sox musings [Projo Sox Blog]

Red Sox can’t get much hotter, can they? [Providence Journal]

Tommy John surgery isn’t always risky business [RedSox.com]

Cool, collected Crawford returns to St. Pete [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.

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 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

Omar Will Be at Top 100 Camp [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Kemba Walker: Kings Pre-Draft Workout and Interview [UConn Huskies Basketball]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Stokes honored [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

BIG EAST Announces Women’s Basketball Home and Away Matchups [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Football links

UConn in recruiting [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Big East start dates [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Huskies Land Recruit No.2: John Green Speedy WR From Miami [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

UConn Football Player In The Spotlight: End Marcus Campbell [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. UConn Baseball Players Go Separate Ways [Hartford Courant]

For the third straight week, a member of the Boston Red Sox has won the American League Player of the Week honors. Here’s the release from MLB:

Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending June 12th. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

In six games, Ellsbury batted .467 (14-for-30) with three doubles, one home run, four RBI and 10 runs scored on his way to earning his first career A.L. Player of the Week honor and the third in as many weeks for the Red Sox. Teammates Carl Crawford (week ending May 30th) and David Ortiz (week ending June 6th) each captured the award the previous two weeks. The fifth-year veteran led the A.L. in runs scored and hits, was tied for second in stolen bases (2), was third in batting average and was tied for fourth in on-base percentage (.500) and total bases (20).

On June 7th at Yankee Stadium, Ellsbury led off with a home run and later doubled as the Red Sox topped the Yankees, 6-4, in the opener of a three-game set. It was his fourth career leadoff home run and his first since September 26, 2008. On Thursday, the 23rd overall pick of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored as the Red Sox defeated the Yankees, 8-3, sweeping their rivals for the second time in 2011. 

To continue reading, click on the read more button below.

Boston has won eight of nine games this season against the Bronx Bombers, with Ellsbury hitting .371 (13-for-35) with four doubles, one home run, six RBI and seven runs scored against the Yanks this season. On June 10th, the Madras, Oregon native went 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored as Boston topped the Blue Jays, 5-1, at the Rogers Centre. It was ninth time this season that Ellsbury has collected at least three hits in a game. On Sunday, the Oregon State University product singled twice and scored three runs as the Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 14-1, extending their current winning streak to nine games and completing their third consecutive sweep.

Ellsbury is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak, batting .429 (21-for-49) with four doubles, one home run, six RBI and five stolen bases over the stretch, and has recorded multiple hits in six consecutive games. He has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 contests. Heading into play today, the 27-year-old leads the A.L. in stolen bases (24), is second in hits (84) and doubles (21), third in runs scored (49), sixth in batting average (.318) and 11th in on-base percentage (.376).

Other noteworthy performances from this past week include Ellsbury’s Red Sox teammates Adrian Gonzalez (.364, 4 2B, 10 RBI), David Ortiz (.320, 4 HR, 13 RBI) and Jon Lester (2-0, 2.57 ERA, 13 K); Yankees designated hitter Jorge Posada (.611, 11 H, .611 SLG, .600 OBP); Detroit Tigers outfielder Brennan Boesch (.419, 13 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .806 SLG); Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko (.393, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .857 SLG); and Minnesota Twins starting pitchers Scott Baker (2-0, 2.25 ERA, 16.0 IP, 1 CG, 12 K, 0 BB) and Francisco Liriano (1-1, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 16 K, carried no-hitter into 8th inning vs. Texas on Sunday).

The winner of the American League Player of the Week, Jacoby Ellsbury, will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.

Photo credit: AP Photo

Lost in the nine-game winning streak the Boston Red Sox have after their sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays is the fact the starters have gotten the decisions in the last seven games. Sure the offense has been rolling over the length of this streak but it’s hard to overlook the starters.

Of course when the starters are staked to big leads, it is a lot easier for them to pitch. It allows them to pound the zone and let the defense do the work.

After a dominant April, Jon Lester had his struggles in the month of May. But he’s started to turn it back around again, especially after a dominant performance on Sunday.

The only mistake he made was to the probably the best home run hitter in baseball right now in Jose Bautista. Other than that, Lester was pretty much unhittable. He had great life and command of his fastball and used his cutter effectively. The greatest part of his outing was his efficiency.

Lester needed just 102 pitches to get through eight innings. He allowed just two hits, one walk and struck out eight while lowering his ERA to 3.73. With the win, he now has nine on the season which is tops in the American League and is also tied with Roy Halladay for the most in all of MLB.

The Red Sox offense put up 16 runs on Saturday afternoon and followed that up with 14 on Sunday.

Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz led the way for the visiting nine with four RBIs each. They each hit a home run with Big Papi hitting a three-run jack off of Jays starter Kyle Drabek. The three-run homer for Ortiz was his second in as many days. Youk’s home run was a two-run shot in the 9th off of Jon Rauch.

Adrian Gonzalez continues to light up AL pitching as he had two more hits and two RBIs. The two RBIs gives Gonzalez a MLB-leading 60. The amazing part of that is the fact that he’s done that in just 65 games. Dustin Pedroia continues to get out of his slump since missing the game on Thursday night as he added a two-run homer.

The earlier maligned Jarrod Saltalamacchia added three hits and an RBI while Jacoby Ellsbury and Marco Scutaro both had two hits. The only member of the starting nine who went without a hit was J.D. Drew who picked up the golden sombrero of the day with four straight strikeouts.

The Red Sox ended up outscoring the Jays 35-6 over the course of the three-game set. During the nine-game winning streak, the Red Sox have outscored the Oakland A’s, New York Yankees and Jays by a margin of 83-36.

At 39-26, the Red Sox have the best record in the AL and the second best overall record in MLB, just a ½ behind the Philadelphia Phillies who are 40-26. They hold a two-game lead over the Yankees and four-game lead over their next opponent, the Tampa Bay Rays, who took two games from the Red Sox in April at Fenway Park.

But this is a different Red Sox team than in April. This is the team we expected to see all season long. So now it’s on to Tropicana Field where the Red Sox have struggled as of late. Hopefully those struggles are a thing of the past during the upcoming three-game set that starts on Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

With the Red Sox being off today we’ll be back later with the pitching matchups for the series with the Rays. But for now, enjoy 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

Business booming for red-hot Red Sox [Boston Globe]

Thinking ahead aids Gonzalez on RBIs [Boston Globe]

Lester appreciates support [Boston Globe]

Red Sox bats keep making noise to cap sweep [Boston Herald]

David Ortiz locked, loaded [Boston Herald]

Lester on top of game [Boston Herald]

Crawford a big hit in sixth spot [Boston Herald]

Red Sox crush Blue Jays, 14-1 [CSNNE.com]

Sox looking like the cream of the A.L. [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Gonzalez driving in runs at record pace [CSNNE.com]

Red Sox trade catcher McKenry to Pirates [CSNNE.com]

Crawford preps for return to Tampa [ESPN Boston]

Rapid reaction: Sox 14, Jays 1 [ESPN Boston]

Pedey power: Hits longest HR of career [ESPN Boston]

No need to worry about Pedroia [ESPN Boston]

Hard-hitting Red Sox get to take it easy [ESPN Boston]

Rampage on the road for Red Sox [Extra Bases]

Closing Time: Red Sox overpower Jays to win ninth straight [Full Count]

Dustin Pedroia: Just keeping his eyes on the ball [Inside Track]

Video: Mike Cameron Shares His Baseball Secrets With North Reading Twins, Astros Little League Teams [NESN.com]

Red Sox Finish Sweep in Toronto, Maintain Marvelous Run Away From Home [NESN.com]

Video: Jon Lester Enjoying Red Sox’ Offensive Success, Says It Gives Pitchers Opportunity to Attack Hitters More [NESN.com]

Video: David Ortiz Likes Bruins’ Chances in Game 6, Says ‘Why Not?’ About Winning Game 7 in Vancouver [NESN.com]

Sutton optioned to Pawtucket; McDonald likely to be recalled [Projo Sox Blog]

Red Sox deal catcher McKenry to Pirates [Projo Sox Blog]

All-out assault continues [Providence Journal]

Sox stuck to plan in keeping Bautista quiet [Providence Journal]

Red Sox journal: Crawford hopes fans know he had to go [Providence Journal]

High-powered offense clicking on all cylinders [RedSox.com]

Adrian continues torrid tear in Sox’s win streak [RedSox.com]

Bruised left shoulder keeps Lowrie on bench [RedSox.com]

Morales makes first rehab stint for PawSox [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 oGetty Imagesver to the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun and the Globe and Mail websites.

Photo credits: 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 Women’s Basketball links

Connecticut Sun cornering market on Alaskan players [Norwich Bulletin]

Happy Birthday To Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi And Nonna [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Video: George Springer Gets His Willie Mays On [SOX & Dawgs]

Baseball. UConn’s Run Ends with 8-2 Loss at South Carolina [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball. Connecticut’s NCAA Run Ends In Super Regional [BigEast.org]

Baseball. UConn Baseball Team Loses To South Carolina; NCAA Run Ends In 8-2 Defeat [Hartford Courant]

Baseball. With a Harvest of Prospects, UConn Baseball Makes Its Mark [NY Times]

Baseball. South Carolina heads back to CWS with 8-2 win over UConn [College Baseball Daily]

Baseball. UConn baseball run ended by South Carolina [CT Post]

After pounding the Toronto Blue Jays 16-4 on Saturday afternoon, the Boston Red Sox will go for the sweep in the finale of a three-game set this afternoon at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

This afternoon’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:07 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 SNET. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

After picking up a quality start and a win his last time out, Jon Lester looks for his ninth win of 2011 in his 14th start. In his previous 13 starts, Lester is 8-2 with a 3.98 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Jays already in 2011 going 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA (6 ER/11.1 IP). He’s made 15 career starts against the Jays and is 8-4 with a 3.59 ERA. Nine of those starts have come north of the border at Rogers Centre where he is 4-3 with a 4.07 ERA.

Kyle Drabek looks to stop the bleeding and prevent the sweep this afternoon in his 14th start of the season. In his previous 13 starts, Drabek is 4-4 with a 4.98 ERA. The Blue Jays are 9-4 in his starts though. He’s made one career start against the Red Sox and that came back on May 10th. In that start, he picked up a no decision after allowing four runs in five innings in the game that was eventually won by the Jays 7-6.

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

Here are today’s lineups:

38-26		32-33
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Yunel Escobar	SS
2. Dustin Pedroia	2B	2. Corey Patterson	LF
3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	3. Jose Bautista	RF
4. Kevin Youkilis	3B	4. Adam Lind	1B
5. David Ortiz	DH	5. J. P. Arencibia	C
6. Carl Crawford	LF	6. Edwin Encarnacion	DH
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	7. Aaron Hill	2B
8. J.D. Drew	RF	8. Rajai Davis	CF
9. Marco Scutaro	SS	9. Jayson Nix	3B
Jon Lester	SP	Kyle Drabek	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’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

We’ve seen this before from Dustin Pedroia [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

A rousing victory for sleep-deprived Red Sox [Boston Globe]

Breaking out a new strategy [Boston Globe]

On his homer, Varitek wasn’t caught napping [Boston Globe]

Cheers from (no) peanut gallery [Boston Globe]

Bombs away, Sox [Boston Herald]

Tek takes mighty hack [Boston Herald]

Something to build on [Boston Herald]

Once busts, now best [Boston Herald]

Red Sox rock Blue Jays pitching, 16-4 [CSNNE.com]

Red Sox bats finally live up to the hype [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Pedroia confident in knee and raking [CSNNE.com]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 16, Blue Jays 4 [ESPN Boston]

Rough start for Barnes in NCAA tournament [Extra Bases]

Closing Time: Red Sox pound Blue Jays for eighth straight win [Full Count]

Video: Clay Buchholz Shows His Back Is 100 Percent With Dominant Friday Outing [NESN.com]

Clay Buchholz’s Seven Solid Innings Versus Blue Jays Earns Him Amica Pitcher of the Week Honors [NESN.com]

Video: John Lackey Continuing to Make Adjustments, Build Arm Strength Upon Return from Disabled List [NESN.com]

David Ortiz Homers Again in Red Sox Rout, Continues to Hearken Back to Days of Dominance [NESN.com]

Video: Terry Francona Encouraged by John Lackey’s Performance, Jason Varitek’s Production in 16-4 Win Over Blue Jays [NESN.com]

Red Sox First-Round Pick Matt Barnes Struggles, But Shows Promise in UConn’s 5-1 Loss to South Carolina [NESN.com]

Video: Peter Gammons Discusses Felix Doubront, Red Sox Prospects with Ben Cherington [NESN.com]

Scutaro starts for Lowrie [Projo Sox Blog]

Hit parade rolls on [Providence Journal]

No easy outs in Red Sox potent lineup [Providence Journal]

Red Sox journal: Rookie hurler Hottovy put to test [Providence Journal]

Francona unsure when Jenks will rejoin ‘pen [RedSox.com]

Lester, Red Sox go for third straight sweep [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: Reuters Pictures, AP Photo