You really have to wonder where the Boston Red Sox would be this season without the services of Tim Wakefield. Whatever Terry Francona and company ask of him, he does and without hesitation or complaint no matter what the situation may be.

When Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Lackey went down with injury, Wake and Alfredo Aceves stepped up their respective games. On Wednesday night, the pair combined to beat the New York Yankees 11-6 with plenty of help from the offense.

Had Wake not stumbled over Brett Gardner to get the final out of the fourth inning, there’s no telling what the end result could have been. He’d been cruising right along at that point as he had given up one run (Alex Rodriguez home run) on three hits and a walk. But it appeared the little incident took a bite of the ageless wonder as he struggled in the fifth inning.

The Yankees got to him for three runs that cut a comfortable 7-1 margin down to 7-4. He was charged another run in the sixth after the Sox got him a four run lead. He gave way to Aceves who allowed two quick singles which brought in the inherited runner but got a huge double play off the bat of Derek Jeter to end the threat.

Aceves was solid after that though giving up a meaningless run in the bottom of the ninth to basically stick it to his old team with a 3.2 inning save of Wake’s 196th career win. Remember this is the same Yankees team that gave up on Aceves after the season was over when he had some injury concerns. Obviously those are a thing of the past and he continues to rub salt in that open wound.

Like Tuesday night, the Red Sox roughed up the Yankees starter, this time A.J. Burnett, for three runs in the first inning.

The tablesetter Jacoby Ellsbury got things going with a single, a one out stolen base and came into score on an Adrian Gonzalez groundout. The big blow came though when David Ortiz worked his way back from a 0-2 count to 3-2 and then got a fastball from Burnett. Big Papi showed Pedroia what his Laser Show is like with the two-run blast to right field.

They added a run in the second when Marco Scutaro singled, stole second and ended up on third with throwing error by Francisco Cervelli (his second of the game). Scuts came into score on a J.D. Drew sac fly. The visiting nine would add three more runs in the 4th but not even that chased Burnett from the game since Joe Girardi used his bullpen pieces on Tuesday.

Carl Crawford and Drew homered in the 9th to push the lead from 8-5 to 11-5 and that’s all the boys would need.

Obviously, Red Sox Nation will be waiting to hear what is going on with the right knee of Dustin Pedroia. It was reported after the game last night that Pedroia may need right knee surgery but the media’s sources are also saying he may be being a little bit over-dramatic.

After the 0-6 and 2-10 starts, the Red Sox now find themselves with the best record in the American League. When you look back to those dreadful days, it makes you wonder how much of a lead the Red Sox could have right now if not for that start. But the past is behind us and we can only look to the future.

Hopefully that future finds the Red Sox leaving New York tonight with a two-game lead and not back into a tie for first place.

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

It’s another first-rate win [Boston Globe]

Aceves picking up pen [Boston Globe]

Pedroia to have right knee examined [Boston Globe]

Some were on inactive list [Boston Globe]

Top draft pick Barnes is ready to change his stripes [Boston Globe]

Red Sox alone atop AL East with another David Ortiz HR [Boston Herald]

Red-hot Sox look set to run away [Boston Herald]

Papi and Pap may be making a pact [Boston Herald]

Knee look-see for Dustin Pedroia [Boston Herald]

Red Sox out-slug Yankees, 11-6 [CSNNE.com]

Sources: Knee surgery ‘unlikely’ for Pedroia [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Varitek forced to catch Wakefield [CSNNE.com]

Sox set Hill, Daisuke surgeries [ESPN Boston]

Aceves in jam? No sweat [ESPN Boston]

Video: BBTN breaks down Sox-Yankees [ESPN Boston]

Home runs, not the flips, keep coming for Papi [ESPN Boston]

Burnett angered by talk of past success vs. Sox [ESPN NY]

Alfredo Aceves no longer has his bike, but he does have some revenge [Full Count]

Closing Time: Red Sox 11, Yankees 6 [Full Count]

Red Sox Day 3 Draft Recap: Sox take Yankees fan who demanded that Epstein draft him [Full Count]

Rich Gedman’s Son Among Those Selected by Red Sox on Final Day of MLB Draft [NESN.com]

Jacoby Ellsbury Can’t Explain Red Sox Success Against Yankees, But Knows Their Games Are Always Draining [NESN.com]

David Ortiz Goes Deep Again, Puts an End to Bat-Flipping Controversy [NESN.com]

Tim Wakefield, Alfredo Aceves Team Up for Strong Effort to Sink Yankees in Bronx [NESN.com]

Will Red Sox or Yankees Have More All-Stars This Summer? [NESN.com]

Former Red Sox Prospect Anthony Rizzo to Make MLB Debut Thursday With Padres [NESN.com]

Ted Williams Sets Pace for Record-Setting Red Sox Offense in 1950 [NESN.com]

Boston’s dominance in Bronx reaching historic proportions [Providence Journal]

Bad luck, predictability contribute to Papelbon’s recent struggles [Providence Journal]

Jeter on Red Sox: ‘If you don’t play well, they’re going to beat you’ [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Girardi says media overhyped Ortiz bat flip [Providence Journal]

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 New York Daily News, New York Post, New York Times and The Journal News websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, NYY Stadium Insider.

About 15 minutes ago or so, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe tweeted that Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is heading back to Boston and may need surgery on his right knee.

Pedroia is headed to Boston tomorrow and is facing the possibility of knee surgery.

Of course, the natural reaction by everyone was WTF!!!

It turn out that Pedroia injured his knee fielding a ball back on May 16th according to Abraham and Nick Cafardo. Here’s what Pedroia had to say about the possibility of surgery.

Pedroia was injured on May 16 when he fell on his knee fielding a ball against the Orioles. He described the procedure, which will be done at Massachusetts General Hospital, as a “needed with a camera on it” that will determine the extent of the damage.

If necessary, Pedroia would then have the surgery immediately.

“It could keep me out a month,” he said. “It’s not what I want. But I have to get it checked out.”

Pedroia said that his lack of production at the plate is attributable to his knee and surgically repaired left foot. “It’s hard to hit with something is wrong with your legs,” he said. “I’ve been trying.”

This does explain his slumping at the plate but what gets me is that he’s stolen six bases since that May 16th game. Those six stolen bases include two in one game against the Detroit Tigers back on May 29th in game one of the doubleheader that day.

In 19 games since the injury, Pedroia is hitting .250 (19-76) with three home runs, 13 RBIs and those six stolen bases. On the season, he is hitting .247 with four home runs and 22 RBIs with 13 stolen bases.

Obviously things have worsened for Pedroia. It’s probably in the best interests of him and the Red Sox to attack the problem now before it becomes any worse than it already is.

Let’s hope it’s nothing serious and Pedroia is back out there sooner rather than later.

We all know what he means to this team!

UPDATE 6.9.11 @ at 6:30 p.m.: There’s good news on his injury. He’s suffering from a bruised knee cap and should be back in the lineup tomorrow in Toronto.

I’m not a big video games person anymore. Back in the day (wow that makes me sound old), I’d play video games all the time with my best friend at the time. So when I came across a post at Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician about how the Syracuse Orange ranked in EA Sports NCAA Football ’12, I was curious to see where the UConn Huskies football team ranked.

Well they come in at No. 47.

The Huskies get an overall ranking of B+ with their offense ranked at a B. The defense is ranked a B+ while the special teams are ranked a B. UConn’s prestige factor is a three.

Now I have to wonder if the fine folks at EA Sports even know what’s going on with the UConn football team right now.

After spring practice, we still don’t have a quarterback. The Huskies lost running backs All-American Jordan Todman to the draft and Robbie Frey to transfer. In their place as of right now is D.J. Shoemate and redshirt Lyle McCombs. The receiving corps was shaky at best and now the leading receiver from last year Michael Smith is academically ineligible.

Defensively, I couldn’t agree more.

The Huskies defense is solid right now and should be the rock of this team. They will probably have to carry the team until the offense figures things out (I know I’m getting ahead of myself but come on, I’m being real here).

Take the ratings for UConn as you may. Things could change on the game and when training camp starts. Hopefully they get better and not worse.

By the way, EA Sports NCAA Football ’12 will come out on July 12th for XBox 360 and Playstation 3. If you want to see how other teams rank, head over to Tradition Sports Online.

After beating the New York Yankees to move into a virtual tie for first place in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox look to take sole possession of it in the second game of a three-game set in the Bronx.

Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and you can watch the game on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Yankees television market, you can catch the game on YES. If you don’t live in either market, you are in luck as the game will be broadcast on ESPN. You can also catch the game online at ESPN3.com. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

With his spot in the rotation secure for the foreseeable future, Tim Wakefield will make his 6th start (15th appearance) of the season for the Red Sox. In his previous 14 appearances (five starts), Wake is 2-1 with a 4.40 ERA. He’s made one appearance against the Yankees this season back on April 9th when he threw two scoreless innings of relief. He’s made 56 career appearances (34 starts) against the Bronx Bombers and is 11-17 with a 4.90 ERA. This will be his first career start at the new Yankee Stadium and is 6-7 with a 3.59 ERA in 24 appearances (15 starts) in the Bronx.

A.J. Burnett toes the slab for the Yankees tonight in his 13th start of 2011. In his 12 starts, Burnett is 6-3 with a 3.86 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox in 2011 and was 0-1 with a 7.63 ERA in three starts in 2010. He’s made 15 career starts against the Red Sox and is 5-3 with a 4.79 ERA. Since joining the Yankees in 2009, Burnett is 0-3 with a 10.61 ERA in six starts against the Red Sox. Of those six starts since joining the Yanks, only has come at Yankee Stadium against the boys from Beantown where he received a no decision in 7.2 innings of scoreless baseball (only allowed one hit).

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

Here are tonight’s lineups:

34-26		33-25
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Derek Jeter	DH
2. Dustin Pedroia	2B	2. Curtis Granderson	CF
3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	3. Mark Teixeira	1B
4. Kevin Youkilis	3B	4. Alex Rodriguez	DH
5. David Ortiz	DH	5. Robinson Cano	2B
6. Carl Crawford	LF	6. Nick Swisher	RF
7. Marco Scutaro	SS	7. Brett Gardner	LF
8. J.D. Drew	RF	8. Eduardo Nunez	3B
9. Jason Varitek	SS	9. Francisco Cervelli	C
Tim Wakefield	SP	A.J. Burnett	SP

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

Bobby Jenks has been placed on the 15-day DL with back tightness. He’s been replaced on the 25-man roster by catcher Luis Exposito who’ll be up until Jarrod Saltalamacchia recovers from what ails him right now.

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

Ortiz doing things, “Papi style” [Clubhouse Insider]

Jarrod Saltalamacchia ill, Varitek catching Wakefield [Clubhouse Insider]

Pregame notes: Jenks to DL, catcher Luis Exposito called up [Clubhouse Insider]

Ortiz blasting his way into Sox’ future [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Saltalamacchia (stomach virus) out [CSNNE.com]

John Lackey Essential As Team Enters Tough AL East Schedule [Don Orsillo – NESN.com]

Pedroia’s struggles against RHP [ESPN Boston]

Video: BBTN previews tonight’s game [ESPN Boston]

Podcast: Baseball America’s Manuel on draft [ESPN Boston]

Saltalamacchia hospitalized with illness [ESPN Boston]

Tim Wakefield vs. Derek Jeter: A matchup for the ages [Extra Bases]

Salty sick; Varitek starts [Extra Bases]

Jenks to DL; Exposito added to roster [Extra Bases]

Padres call up Anthony Rizzo [Extra Bases]

Rich Hill to have surgery tomorrow [Extra Bases]

Top draft pick Matt Barnes looks forward to super regional and beyond [Extra Bases]

Jerry Remy on D&C: ‘No way’ Jon Lester hit Mark Teixeira on purpose [Full Count]

Peter Gammons on M&M: ‘Distinctly possible’ Yankees may retaliate [Full Count]

Terry Francona on The Big Show: Ortiz ‘can handle himself’ [Full Count]

Heidi Watney Performs Wedding Atop Green Monster After Red Sox Game [NESN.com]

Red Sox Wives Dish Out Some Love at Annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl Event in Boston [NESN.com]

Jonathan Papelbon’s Suspension Fair, But Umpire Tony Randazzo Should Be Punished for Escalating Situation [NESN.com]

Jon Lester Earns Fifth Straight Win Over Yankees in Grinding Fashion [NESN.com]

Bobby Jenks Placed on Disabled List, Catcher Luis Exposito Recalled With Jarrod Saltalamacchia Out Sick [NESN.com]

Dennis Eckersley Thinks Yankees Should ‘Lay in the Weeds’ to Keep Red Sox on Edge Following David Ortiz Bat Flip [NESN.com]

Jerry Remy Says Threat of Retaliation Lingers Following Incidents, But Game Has Changed in Terms of What Upsets Players [NESN.com]

Red Sox, Yankees Mired in Almost Identical Injury Situations Prior to Wednesday’s Meeting in New York [NESN.com]

Jonathan Papelbon Calls Mariano Rivera ‘Godfather of Closer Position,’ Says He Made Role What It Is Today [NESN.com]

Pitching Papi high and tight [Projo Sox Blog]

Sox getting their money’s worth…for a change [Projo Sox Blog]

Jenks to DL, Saltalamacchia sick, Exposito recalled [Projo Sox Blog]

Any additional theatrics on Wednesday? [Projo Sox Blog]

Barnes excited to join Sox — once college season ends [Projo Sox Blog]

Jeter, Wakefield chasing history in Bronx [RedSox.com]

Photo credits: AP Photo, Getty Images

The 2011 MLB Draft concluded on Wednesday afternoon and we saw the Boston Red Sox draft a total of 53 players across the three-day, 50 round event.

The draft saw the Red Sox take three first baseman, one second baseman, three third baseman, four catchers, one infielder, eight left handed pitchers, 10 outfielders, 17 right handed pitchers and three shortstops.

Over half of the players they selected were in high school (29). The others were 12 college juniors, one draft-eligible sophomore, seven college seniors and four junior college players.

Of the 25 pitchers they drafted, 12 of them were from high school.

The Red Sox amateur scouting department will now have its hands full as they try to sign as many of these players as they can. Some will be hard to sign of course.

For a full look at all 53 picks by the Red Sox, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Pick	Player	School	Pos	B/T	Ht	DOB	Class
19	Matt Barnes	Connecticut	RHP	R/R	6’04”	6/17/1990	JR
26	Blake Swihart	V Sue Cleveland HS (NM)	C	S/R	6’01”	4/3/1992	HS
36	Henry Owens	Edison HS (CA)	LHP	L/L	6’06”	7/21/1992	HS
40	Jackie Bradley	South Carolina	OF	L/R	5’10”	4/19/1990	JR
81	Williams Jerez	Grand Street Campus (NY)	CF	L/L	6’04”	5/16/1992	HS
111	Jordan Weems	Columbus HS (GA)	C	L/R	6’03”	11/7/1992	HS
142	Noe Ramirez	Cal State – Fullerton	RHP	R/R	6’03”	12/22/1989	JR
172	Markus Betts	John Overton HS (TN)	SS	R/R	5’09”	10/7/1992	HS
202	Miguel Pena	San Jacinto College North	LHP	L/L	6’02”	10/24/1990	J2
232	Cody Kukuk	Lawrence Free State HS (KS)	LHP	L/L	6’04”	4/10/1993	HS
262	Senquez Golson	Pascagoula HS (MS)	CF	R/R	5’10”	7/7/1993	HS
292	Travis Shaw	Kent State	3B	L/R	6’04”	4/16/1990	JR
322	Cody Koback	Wisconsin – Stevens Point	CF	R/R	6’01”	4/20/1990	JR
352	Kevin Brahney	Cal St Chico	LHP	L/L	6’05”	8/8/1988	JR
382	Deshorn Lake	Menchville HS (VA)	RHP	R/R	6’01”	10/29/1993	HS
412	Matthew Ott	LSU	RHP	R/R	6’01”	4/20/1990	JR
442	Michael McCarthy	Cal State – Bakersfield	RHP	R/R	6’03”	11/18/1987	5S
472	Braden Kapteyn	Kentucky	RHP	R/R	6’04”	9/28/1989	JR
502	Daniel Gossett	James F Byrnes HS (SC)	RHP	R/R	6’02”	11/13/1992	HS
532	Blake Forslund	Liberty University	RHP	R/R	6’04”	2/16/1990	JR
562	Andrew Jones	Samford University	RHP	R/R	6’03”	5/1/1989	SR
592	Jeffery Orvis	Freedom HS (FL)	1B	L/R	6’03”	11/12/1992	HS
622	Zachary Good	Grayson County College	LHP	L/L	6’03”	6/8/1992	J1
652	Austin Davidson	Oxnard HS (CA)	IF	L/R	6’00”	1/3/1993	HS
682	Joseph Holtmeyer	Nebraska – Omaha	RHP	R/R	6’03”	11/24/1989	JR
712	Jarrett Brown	Salem HS (GA)	LHP	R/L	6’03”	12/15/1992	HS
742	Andrew Turocy	Akron	CF	L/L	6’03”	12/26/1988	SR
772	Taylor Ard	Washington State	1B	R/R	6’02”	1/31/1990	JR
802	Cody Dill	Los Osos HS (CA)	RHP	R/R	6’01”	12/28/1992	HS
832	Alex Massey	Catholic HS (LA)	RHP	R/R	6’02”	2/1/1993	HS
862	Brenden Shepard	Stonehill Col	RHP	R/R	6’00”	10/7/1987	SR
892	Matthew Spalding	St. Xavier HS (KY)	RHP	R/R	5’11”	10/22/1992	HS
922	Nick Moore	Brookwood HS (GA)	3B	S/R	6’02”	12/9/1992	HS
952	Tyler Wells	Lexington Catholic HS (KY)	OF	R/R	6’05”	10/15/1992	HS
982	Julius Gaines	Luella HS (GA)	SS	R/R	5’10”	9/10/1992	HS
1012	David Chester	Pittsburgh	1B	R/R	6’05”	3/31/1989	SR
1042	Sean Dartnell	Vauxhall HS	LHP	R/L	6’02”	7/1/1992	HS
1072	Carlos Coste	Academia Bautista HS	C	R/R	6’02”	5/11/1993	HS
1102	Jace Herrera	Wekiva HS (FL)	RHP	R/R	6’04”	6/16/1993	HS
1132	Robert Youngdahl	Hill-Murray HS (MN)	OF	L/L	6’02”	11/18/1992	HS
1162	Tyler Poole	Hickory HS (NC)	RHP	R/R	6’06”	9/8/1992	HS
1192	Corey Vogt	Keene St Col	RHP	R/R	6’00”	8/5/1989	SR
1222	Jordan Gross	Don Bosco Prep HS (NJ)	LHP	L/L	6’01”	6/24/1993	HS
1252	Matthew Marquis	Maryland	LF	R/R	6’00”	2/22/1990	JR
1282	Derek O’Dell	Canyon HS (TX)	3B	R/R	5’11”	4/17/1992	HS
1312	Brandon Downes	South Plainfield HS (NJ)	CF	R/R	6’02”	9/29/1992	HS
1342	Matthew Martin	The Pendleton School (FL)	C	R/R	6’00”	10/14/1992	HS
1372	Matt Gedman	UMass Amherst	2B	L/R	6’02”	9/26/1988	SR
1402	Johnathan Williamson	Wake Forest U	OF	R/R	6’04”	7/15/1990	SO
1432	Samuel Wolff	College of Southern Nevada	SS	R/R	6’01”	4/14/1991	J2

After seeing eight UConn Huskies baseball players drafted during the first two days of the 2011 MLB Draft, two more were selected on Wednesday, the final day of the draft. This gives the Huskies a total of 10 players who were drafted.

They are:

• 35th round – Doug Elliot, C by the Milwaukee Brewers
• 39th round – Elliot Glynn, RHP by the Milwaukee Brewers

The Huskies saw OF George Springer (Houston Astros) and RHP Matt Barnes (Boston Red Sox) taken in the first round on Monday. On Tuesday, SS Nick Ahmed (Atlanta Braves) was taken in the second round.

Also taken on Tuesday were:

• Round 17 – Mike Andreoli, RF by the Chicago Cubs
• Round 18 – Greg Nappo, RHP by the Florida Marlins
• Round 19 – Kevin Vance, RHP by the Chicago White Sox
• Round 21 – Mike Nemeth, 1B by the Milwaukee Brewers
• Round 30 – David Fischer, RHP by the San Francisco Giants

I wouldn’t expect any of them to sign just yet though as the Huskies are still alive in the NCAA Tourament. They’ll start play in the Columbia, SC Super Regional on Saturday against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The 2011 MLB Draft concluded on Wednesday afternoon with rounds 31-50. As you might expect, the Boston Red Sox were busy trying to restock their minor league system.

Here’s a list of the players they drafted in rounds 31 through 50:

• Rd 31 – Tyler Wells, OF, high school
• Rd 32 – Julius Gaines, SS, high school
• Rd 33 – David Chester, 1B, University of Pittsburgh
• Rd 34 – Sean Dartnell, LHP, high school
• Rd 35 – Carlos Coste, C, high school
• Rd 36 – Jace Herrera, RHP, high school
• Rd 37 – Robert Youngdahl, OF, high school
• Rd 38 – Tyler Poole, RHP, high school
• Rd 39 – Corey Vogt, RHP, Keene State College
• Rd 40 – Jordan Gross, LHP, high school
• Rd 41 – Matthew Marquis, LF, University of Maryland
• Rd 42 – Derek O’Dell, 3B, high school
• Rd 43 – Brandon Downes, OF, high school
• Rd 44 – Matthew Martin, C, high school
• Rd 45- Matt Gedman, 2B, UMass – Amherst
• Rd 46 – Johnathan Williamson, OF, Wake Forest
• Rd 47 – Samuel Wolff, SS, College of Southern Nevada
• Rd 48 – David Sosebee, RHP, high school
• Rd 49 – Jadd Schmeltzer, RHP, Cornell University
• Rd 50 – John Gorman, RHP, high school

Normally when the Boston Red Sox give Jon Lester an early lead, we don’t have to worry too much especially given his career numbers against the New York Yankees. We’re also used to seeing Lester shine when the weather heats up after battling early season struggles.

But it’s been the opposite this year for the most part.

After bucking the April struggles this year, Lester had a tough go of things in the month of May. And with two extra days of rest to work out the mechanical issues, Lester seems to be no where near figuring them out.

He struggled with his command last night, especially with his cutter as evidenced by hitting Mark Teixeira, a HBP that forced him from the game, and hitting Russell Martin with the exact same pitch in almost the same spot. The 3-0 lead he was afforded quickly turned to 3-1 and if not for getting Nick Swisher to ground out on a great stop by Kevin Youkilis, the end result of the first inning could have been much different.

After the Red Sox got him two more runs in the 5th on a David Ortiz two-run blast, Lester gave them right back in the bottom half on a two-run double from Swisher. Fortunately for Lester, the bullpen backed him up as the Sox would hold on for a 6-4 win.

Unfortunately though, it wasn’t Bobby Jenks who helped out. In fact, he could find himself returning to the disabled list after leaving with back tightness with a 3-1 count on Jorge Posada in the first batter of the seventh. Matt Albers came in and got the job done though for him. Daniel Bard was lights out in the 8th and Jonathan Papelbon finished it off in the 9th despite allowing a run.

For Papelbon it was a strange day.

He was suspended and fined for three games for the bumping incident with Tony Randazzo on Saturday. But since he appealed the suspension and the fine, he was able to pitch and for that, he rewarded himself with his 200th career save.

His strikeout of Alex Rodriguez to end the game gave him that 200th career save and put him into the MLB record books as the fastest to 200 career saves.

Speaking of bullpens, the Yankees can thank Hector Noesi for giving them a strong relief outing after Freddy Garcia stunk up the joint.

Jacoby Ellsbury got the chasing of Garcia going right away when he lead off the game with a home run. A walk to Dustin Pedroia and another rare triple by Adrian Gonzalez made it 2-0. Youk promptly followed that with a sac fly to push it to 3-0.

Garcia finally would leave the game after 1 2/3 innings when Pedroia chased him to the clubhouse with a double that scored Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

You have to give credit to Lester for battling through his command issues last night. Had he not been able to gut it out, the Red Sox bullpen could have been shorthanded even more than they are with Jenks going down. All told though, a good night overall.

The Red Sox now find themselves back in a tie for first place in the AL East with the Yanks. They’ve also taken six-of-seven from their rivals this season. Hopefully that trend continues again later today.

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

Papelbon has one to savor [Boston Globe]

Flip flap adds some spice [Boston Globe]

Injury doesn’t worry Jenks [Boston Globe]

Command still issue for Lester [Boston Globe]

Possible catch with Swihart [Boston Globe]

Red Sox OK from start [Boston Herald]

Sox will need Swihart deal to sign pick [Boston Herald]

Question of age [Boston Herald]

Jonathan Papelbon suspended 3 games [Boston Herald]

Papi’s HR act riles Yankees [Boston Herald]

Jonathan Papelbon bags 200th save quicker than Mariano Rivera [Boston Herald]

Lester good enough to beat Yanks [CSNNE.com]

Will cost Sox to steer Swihart from Austin to Boston [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Pap saves 200th; Girardi criticizes Papi [CSNNE.com]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 6, Yankees 4 [ESPN Boston]

Ortiz dismisses Girardi ire about bat flip [ESPN Boston]

Old back issue bites Jenks; MRI scheduled [ESPN Boston]

Video: Edes and Marchand on Game 1 and previewing Game 2 [ESPN Boston]

Jonathan Papelbon makes most of stay of suspension [ESPN Boston]

Video: Nick Cafardo on Red Sox-Yankees opener [Extra Bases]

John Lackey: Elbow going to be ‘something I have to stay on top of’ [Full Count]

Closing Time: Red Sox jump on ineffective Freddy Garcia early and often [Full Count]

Rounds 11-15: Nursing can wait as Sox make run at college arms [Full Count]

Red Sox go for pitching in rounds 16-20 [Full Count]

Rounds 21-30: Red Sox make a second run at drafting Tino Martinez (sort of) [Full Count]

Red Sox Take Williams Jerez, Brooklyn Product With Yankees Ties, in Second Round of Draft [NESN.com]

Jonathan Papelbon Pays Tribute to Mariano Rivera After Breaking One of Legend’s Records [NESN.com]

Video: Jon Lester Able to Execute When Needed, Comes Away With Eighth Win of Season [NESN.com]

Vote to Help Fill Out Tournament Field for ‘Red Sox Showdown for the Ages’ [NESN.com]

Bobby Jenks to Get MRI on Back on Wednesday, Expects to Be OK [NESN.com]

‘Red Sox Showdown for the Ages’ Set to Crown Greatest Red Sox Team of All Time [NESN.com]

Boston pulls into first-place tie with NY [Providence Journal]

Wakefield’s a familiar act to long line of New Yorkers [Providence Journal]

Papelbon suspended for bumping umpire [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Scutaro is thrown right into the fray [Providence Journal]

So far, rivalry tilting in Boston’s direction [RedSox.com]

Cal State Fullerton’s Ramirez excited to join Sox [RedSox.com]

David Ortiz’ quest to make the designated hitter cool again [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]

Good To See That the Dad from “Modern Family” Hates the Yankees, Too [Surviving Grady]

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 New York Daily News, New York Post, New York Times and The Journal News websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, NYY Stadium Insider.

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.

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UConn Men’s Basketball links

Calhoun Bike Ride on Saturday; Moore Honored Wednesday [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Ray Allen Exercises 2011-12 Option With Celtics [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Top recruit commits to UConn men [CT Post]

DeAndre Daniels (6-8) Commits To UConn [Hartford Courant]

DeAndre Daniels commits to UConn [New Haven Register]

UConn men land a Top 10 recruit [The Day]

Sellers gets second chance at Hofstra [CBSSports.com]

UConn’s Walker pulls out of pre-draft workout [Sacramento Bee]

NBA Mock Draft 2011: Sacramento Kings Take Kemba Walker From UConn [SB Nation]

UConn’s Kemba Walker says he’s a point guard, not a combo guard [MLive.com]

Raptors think Walker’s the real deal [Toronto Sun]

Wait, what? DeAndre Daniels picks UConn [Lawrence Journal]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Summertime – And The Living Is Busy For Stefanie Dolson [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Jen Rizzotti Not Intimidated By USA Basketball Task [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Huskies Show Their Support At Walk For Autism [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

UConn’s Hartley looking to build off freshman season [CT Post]

Moore gets a taste of losing, and spits it out [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

UConn Football links

Post-Camp Scholarships Have Been Offered To… [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

How The Orange Did Academically Under Paul Pasqualoni [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

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

UConn Huskies Football Opponent: Fordham [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. UConn’s Penders Looks To Keep More In-State Talent [Hartford Courant]

Baseball. What They’re Blogging About Barnes, Springer… [Hartford Courant]

Baseball. UConn’s Barnes savors his great night [CT Post]

Baseball. Scouting the UConn Huskies [GoGamecocks.com]

Baseball. UConn star OF George Springer honored to be drafted by Astros in first round [Examiner.com]

If there was any doubt that UConn Huskies men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun was going to retire, you can put those thoughts to rest as he scored a major coup in the recruiting wars.

DeAndre Daniels, a 6’8″ guard/forward out of Woodland Hills, CA, gave his commitment to Calhoun on Tuesday. Daniels had originally committed to go to the Texas Longhorns for the 2010-11 season but decided to do a year at the IMG Basketball Academy to prep for the college life.

Here’s a little of what Andy Borman from the IMG Basketball Academy had to say about Daniels:

“DeAndre has taken full advantage of everything that IMG has to offer and has continued to develop on the court, in the classroom and in the weight room,” said Borman. “He is an extremely talented young man, but what sets him apart from other talented kids his age is the fact that he is extremely driven and focused on becoming the best player possible. He is an immediate impact player at the next level.”

Despite losing scholarships in the NCAA sanctions, the Huskies had an extra one with the transfer of Jamal Coombs-McDaniel.

While this won’t make the Huskies a favorite to repeat their 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, it will give them another piece of the puzzle to try and do just that.