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

With the way Jon Lester was pitching on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, it looked like the Boston Red Sox starter could have been on his way to his second career no-hitter. He was that good.

He struck out four of the first six batters he faced. The only blemish he had was a leadoff walk to J. P. Arencibia in the 3rd but he worked around it. He added another strikeout in the 4th inning as well.

But during the break, Red Sox trainer Mike Reinhold was seen talking to Terry Francona and next you thing you know Lester is done for the evening and on his way to the clubhouse. There was a lot of speculation on Twitter as to what it might be and of course with all the cases of intestinal turmoil going through there, that was the main thought.

As time wore on and no update from the Red Sox, the thoughts on Twitter seemed to rise. The longer it took the worse the injury seemed.

Well it turned out to be serious but not too serious as it was announced that Lester left the game with a strained left latissimus dorsi. This is the same injury that Matt Albers suffered earlier in the season and it cost him two weeks on the DL.

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

The speculation is that Lester will miss the same amount of time but we won’t know for sure until he’s examined fully tomorrow by the Red Sox medical staff.

Here’s what Lester had to say about the injury after the game:

“It wasn’t one particular pitch. It was pretty much the whole inning,” said Lester. “It just built up and, at first, talking with [trainer Mike Reinold], I was just trying to go back out there in the fifth. He kind of said no. Him and [manager Terry Francona] always have our best interests. There’s no point in going out and pushing it right now. It’s going to be sore tomorrow. I think if I would have gone out there in the fifth, we possibly could have done some worse damage.

“I’d never take myself out of the game if it wasn’t something significant,” the left-hander added. “We’ll get it looked at tomorrow, see how I feel. Luckily, we have the All-Star break built in, so hopefully we don’t have to do anything drastic around here.”

Lester was scheduled to start on Sunday but obviously he won’t be doing that. According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe via Twitter, Alfredo Aceves will be making the start for Lester.

While it remains to be seen whether or not Lester goes on the disabled list, I’d have to think with Aceves stepping into the rotation temporarily the Red Sox will put him on the DL and bring up someone for the bullpen. This would be their best option going forward to save the bullpen who’s had to be used extensively over the past two nights now.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Should we really be surprised that Boston Red Sox first baseman/right fielder Adrian Gonzalez was named the American League Player of the Month for June? Yeah I didn’t think so either.

Here’s the release from the Red Sox:

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for June. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor of 24 of 30 clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the National League and American League Player of the Month Awards. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

Gonzalez, who will be appearing in his fourth career All-Star Game and his first with the American League on July 12th in Phoenix, batted a Major League-best .404 (40-for-99) with eight doubles, two triples, six home runs and 25 RBI in 25 games during June to win his first career A.L. Player of the Month Award. It is the first monthly honor for the Red Sox since teammate David Ortiz took home the award in May 2010. Among the A.L. leaders, Adrian tied for first with New York’s Mark Teixeira in RBI and was second in the league in hits, runs scored, on-base percentage (.478) and slugging percentage (.707). On June 4th against the visiting Oakland Athletics, Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored to help lift the Red Sox over the A’s, 9-8, in 14 innings. It was the second of 13 multi-hit games in June for the left-handed slugger. On June 17th, Gonzalez again led the way for the Boston offense, finishing a triple shy of the cycle as he recorded three hits and a walk in five trips to the plate along with a season-high three runs scored as the BoSox outscored the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-4, at Fenway Park.

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

On June 20th against the San Diego Padres, Gonzalez’s first matchup with his former club since being traded to Boston after the 2010 season, the 29-year-old recorded his fifth three-hit game of the month, going 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored as the Red Sox routed the Pads, 14-5. Two days later, in the series finale with San Diego, Gonzalez tied a season-high with four hits, all of which were singles. Gonzalez started in right field in Philadelphia on June 29th, his first appearance at the position since late in the 2005 season with the Texas Rangers. Heading into play today, Gonzalez leads the A.L. with a .348 batting average and 120 hits and leads the Majors with 28 doubles, 75 RBI and 202 total bases.

Among others receiving votes was Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, who batted .369 (31-for-84) with four doubles, 10 home runs and 20 RBI in 23 games. The 2011 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by Sprint candidate paced the A.L. in home runs and slugging percentage (.774) and was fifth in the league in on-base percentage (.448) and batting average. New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher (.326, 7 HR, 23 RBI) and Baltimore Orioles infielder J. J. Hardy (.362, 6 HR, 25 RBI) also received consideration.

The Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month, Adrian Gonzalez, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for his accomplishment.

Photo credit: Getty Images

After falling yesterday, the Boston Red Sox look to get back on track in the middle game of a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays 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.

Jon Lester looks to become the sixth pitcher in MLB to get 11 wins in his 18th start of 2011. In his previous 17 starts, Lester is 10-4 with a 3.43 ERA. He’s made three starts against the Blue Jays in 2011 and is 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA. He’s made 16 career starts against the Jays and is 9-4 with a 3.40 ERA. Six of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA.

Brett Cecil makes just his sixth start of the season for the Blue Jays tonight. In his previous five starts, he is 1-3 with a 7.24 ERA. His lone win of the season came in his only start of 2011 against the Red Sox. In that start, he picked up the victory after allowing three runs in six innings. He’s made five career starts against the Red Sox and is 2-3 with a 6.51 ERA. Three of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 2-1 with a 7.79 ERA.

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:

42-44		49-35
1. Rajai Davis	CF	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Corey Patterson	LF	2. Marco Scutaro	SS
3. Jose Bautista	3B	3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
4. Adam Lind	1B	4. Dustin Pedroia	2B
5. Edwin Encarnacion	DH	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. Travis Snider	RF	6. Darnell McDonald	LF
7. J. P. Arencibia	C	7. Jason Varitek	C
8. John McDonald	SS	8. J. D. Drew	RF
9. Mike McCoy	2B	9. Yamaico Navarro	3B
Brett Cecil	SP	Jon Lester	SP

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

Notes: After being designated for assignment last week, Mike Cameron has been traded to the Florida Marlins plus cash. The Red Sox will either get back cash considerations or a player-to-be-named later.

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

The richest aren’t necessarily the best [Clubhouse Insider]

Kevin Youkilis expects to return tomorrow [Clubhouse Insider]

Pregame notes: Youkilis out; Crawford gets closer [CSNNE.com]

What to do about Lackey? [ESPN Boston]

Boston Red Sox’s Kevin Youkilis sitting day after hit by pitch [ESPN Boston]

Buchholz will see doctor Wednesday [ESPN Boston]

Lowrie still not taking BP [ESPN Boston]

Francona: Crawford ‘had a really good day’ [ESPN Boston]

A trade proposal: Lackey for Zito [Extra Bases]

The blinking heart of the city [Extra Bases]

Youkilis gets a day off [Extra Bases]

Red Sox Mailbag: CC Sabathia, Paul Konerko American League’s Biggest All-Star Snubs [NESN.com]

Banged-Up Kevin Youkilis Eyes All-Star Break as Chance to Heal [NESN.com]

Video: Carl Crawford Feeling Stronger, Red Sox Still May Take Conservative Route With Outfielder’s Return [NESN.com]

Video: Theo Epstein Says Red Sox More Likely to Be in Market for Position Players As Trade Deadline Nears [NESN.com]

Nuggetpalooza: Interleague Recap [Nuggetpalooza]

Last week Cameron, this week Lackey? [Projo Sox Blog]

Good cause, bad hat [Projo Sox Blog]

Former Red Sox shortstop Buddin dead at 77 [Projo Sox Blog]

Youkilis out Tuesday, expects return Wednesday [Projo Sox Blog]

Crawford return in the “not-too-distant future” [Projo Sox Blog]

Injury updates: Buchholz, Lowrie [Projo Sox Blog]

Seeking 11th win, Lester looks to even series [RedSox.com]

Red Sox trade veteran Cameron to Marlins [RedSox.com]

Photo credits: AP Photo, Reuters Pictures

There’s no doubt right now that John Lackey has lost the backing of the Fenway faithful. After walking off the mound in the eventual 9-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, they let the Boston Red Sox starting pitcher know exactly how they felt by booing him straight to the dugout.

Now whether or not you should boo your own players is a discussion for another day but can you blame them after Lackey had given up seven runs in 2.1 innings on nine hits. His fastball had good velocity but obviously his location was terrible. It made you think, did batting practice end for the Blue Jays as he was serving up huge fat softballs for the hitters.

I started thinking last night as to whom Lackey reminded me of on the Red Sox staff. And I came up with Daisuke Matsuzaka.

With Dice-K, you never knew what you were going to get. Were you going to get a pitcher who could be in complete control or were you going to get a pitcher who had nothing and looked lost on the bump? Before his season ended due to Tommy John surgery, we had seen both.

And that’s exactly what we’re seeing with Lackey right now.

Even though he took the loss against the Philadelphia Phillies, he pitched a great game. Heck, he even helped his own cause by driving in the only run of the game for the Red Sox. He had a great stuff that day and had excellent command. The start before that one, he sucked. And in his previous outings after returning from the disabled list, he gave the Red Sox a chance to win.

He didn’t do that on Monday afternoon. Instead, the Red Sox found themselves chasing seven runs after two innings. Yes with the offense the Red Sox have, any lead is not insurmountable. But this time the hole Lackey had dug for the Red Sox was just too deep for the offense to try and help out their teammate.

The Eric Gagne trade will probably go down as the worst trade Theo Epstein has made as the Red Sox GM. Right now unless Lackey turns things around, the signing of Lackey will go down as the worst free agent signing he’s ever made.

Jacoby Ellsbury showed everyone why he was selected by his peers to the 2011 MLB All-Star Game as he was 4-for-5 with two RBIs. It was his triple in the 4th inning that got the Red Sox started on climbing out of the hole. He’d come into score on passed ball from Jose Molina on a walk to Dustin Pedroia. Adrian Gonzalez would bring in Pedey with a double and the Red Sox were right back into the game.

For the most part the bullpen was great in keeping the Red Sox in the game. Dan Wheeler was outstanding and Alfredo Aceves did give up two runs (only one earned) while Franklin Morales and Matt Albers were effective. Unfortunately those two runs turned out to be the difference because of the big hole Lackey dug for the Red Sox.

The last time these two teams played, the Red Sox swept the Jays and outscored them by a margin of 35-6. That’s not going to happen this time although the next two pitchers the Red Sox face in Brett Cecil and Ricky Romero, they’ve done pretty well. Hopefully that continues.

Thanks to the Cleveland Indians beating the New York Yankees last night, the Red Sox remain 1.5 games behind the Yanks for first in the AL East. And with the Tampa Bay Rays being shutout by the Minnesota Twins, the Red Sox are still 2.5 games ahead of them.

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

The dangers of the deep end: Lackey, the Sox and the high cost of free agency [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Sox fall in hole [Boston Globe]

Numbers becoming numbing [Boston Globe]

Wheeler and bullpen kept it close [Boston Globe]

Buchholz will see specialist [Boston Globe]

Unwelcome return [Boston Herald]

Sox hurtin’ for certain [Boston Herald]

McDonald won’t Lack in motivation [Boston Herald]

Perfect relief in offering [Boston Herald]

Powerless to impeach [Boston Herald]

Navy sailor gets Fenway ovation [Boston Herald]

Ellsbury displays All-Star form [Boston Herald]

Crawford (hamstring) pleased with latest workout [CSNNE.com]

Sox fall to Blue Jays, 9-7 [CSNNE.com]

Lackey misses mark against Blue Jays [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Youkilis knocked out after HBP [CSNNE.com]

Iglesias placed on DL after beaning [CSNNE.com]

Rapid Reaction: Jays 9, Sox 7 [ESPN Boston]

Youk has headache after hit by pitch [ESPN Boston]

Lackey ‘just didn’t locate well enough’ [ESPN Boston]

Ellsbury (4-for-5) shows his All-Star stuff [ESPN Boston]

Papi likes team’s chances in Derby [ESPN Boston]

Boston Red Sox stand behind struggling teammate John Lackey [ESPN Boston]

Closing Time: Lackey gets lit up as Blue Jays beat Red Sox [Full Count]

Lackey on health: ‘No excuse there’ [Full Count]

Buchholz ‘a little miserable’ as he prepares to see back specialist [Full Count]

Video: Adrian Gonzalez Sticking Behind John Lackey, Disappointed Red Sox Couldn’t Complete Comeback Against Blue Jays [NESN.com]

Clay Buchholz to See Back Specialist, Timetable for Right-Hander’s Return Still Uncertain [NESN.com]

John Lackey Back to Square One After Rocky Start Against Blue Jays [NESN.com]

Red Sox Are Streakiest Team in Baseball, According to Study [NESN.com]

Video: Peter Gammons Says Getting John Lackey Turned Around Is Vital for Red Sox in Second Half [NESN.com]

Lackey digs hole too deep [Providence Journal]

Lackey seems to be wearing out his welcome [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Wheeler gave Sox a fighting chance [Providence Journal]

Bard OK with not making All-Star team [RedSox.com]

Time For Lackey To Go [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 papers, head over to the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun and the Globe and Mail websites.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

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

U19 American team gets July 4th victory [Neill Ostrout – CT Post]

UConn rising sophomore Jeremy Lamb scores nine in win [New Haven Register]

Majok hits big time [Camden Advertiser]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Mailbag: How Are “The Girls” Doing? [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

UConn Football links

Big East Blue Ribbon previews [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

After finishing up interleague play with a sweep of the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox return home to the friendly confines of Fenway Park to start a seven-game homestand before the All-Star Break. They’ll kick it off with a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:35 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. If you don’t live in either market, you may be in luck as the MLB Network will have coverage of the game 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.

John Lackey steps to the hill for the 13th time this season this afternoon. In his previous 12 starts, Lackey is 5-7 with a 6.81 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Jays this season and is 1-1 with a 9.24 ERA (13 ER/12.2 IP). This marks the first time he’s faced them at home this season. Lackey has made 17 career starts against the Jays and is 5-6 with a 5.12 ERA. In two career starts against the Jays at the Fens, Lackey is 1-1 with a 10.45 ERA (12 ER/10.1 IP).

Brandon Morrow makes his 14th start of 2011 for old friend John Farrell. In his previous 13 starts, Morrow is 4-4 with a 4.56 ERA. He took the loss in his only start of 2011 against the Red Sox after allowing nine runs in 4.1 innings of work. In 12 career appearances (four starts) against the Red Sox, Morrow is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA. Three of those appearances (two starts) have come at the Fens where he is 0-1 with an 11.42 ERA.

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 afternoon’s lineups:

41-44		49-34
1. Rajai Davis	CF	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Eric Thames	LF	2. Dustin Pedroia	2B
3. Jose Bautista	3B	3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
4. Adam Lind	1B	4. Kevin Youkilis	3B
5. Edwin Encarnacion	DH	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. Aaron Hill	2B	6. Josh Reddick	LF
7. Travis Snider	RF	7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
8. Jose Molina	C	8. J. D. Drew	RF
9. John McDonald	SS	9. Marco Scutaro	SS
Brandon Morrow	SP	John Lackey	SP

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

Notes: The Red Sox game against the Yankees on August 7th will be televised on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball and begin at 8:05 p.m.

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

Injury updates on Carl Crawford and Clay Buchholz [Clubhouse Insider]

Crawford, Buchholz to meet with doc today [ESPN Boston]

A few injury updates [Extra Bases]

Red Sox sign Dominican center fielder [Extra Bases]

The winners and losers in another round of Interleague madness [Full Count]

Josh Reddick Making Carl Crawford’s Absence a Virtual Non-Issue for Red Sox [NESN.com]

Video: Josh Beckett Feeds on Camaraderie Among Red Sox Starting Pitchers [NESN.com]

Video: Blue Jays Slugger Jose Bautista Appreciates Fans’ Efforts to Vote Him All-Star Starter [NESN.com]

Lackey, Sox look to extend win streak at home [RedSox.com]

Photo credits: Getty Images, AP Photo