Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz goes through the streets of New York in a Red Sox uniform looking for hugs.

After an off day on Thursday, the Boston Red Sox return to the field in their quest to get back to .500 with a three-game set against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium this weekend.

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. YES will have the coverage for you in the Yankees television market. And if you don’t live in either market, you’re in luck as well as the MLB Network will have coverage of the game. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

Clay Buchholz looks to get the Red Sox back on track in his eighth start of 2011. In his previous seven starts, Buchholz is 3-3 with a 4.19 ERA. He’s faced the Yankees once this season, taking the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) in 3.2 innings back on 4/9.  He’s made six career starts against the Yankees and is 1-3 with a 6.25 ERA. Three of those starts have come in the Bronx where he is 1-1 with a 6.35 ERA.

Bartolo Colon will make his first start against the Red Sox since he was a member of the Angels in 2005. He’s made seven appearances (four starts) for the Yankees in 2011 and is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA. He’s faced the Red Sox once this season when he took the loss back on 4/8 after allowing three runs (one earned) in 4.1 innings out of the bullpen. He’s had 23 career appearances (22 starts) against the Red Sox and is 8-10 with a 4.13 ERA.

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:

17-20		20-15
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Derek Jeter	SS
2. Dustin Pedroia	2B	2. Curtis Granderson	CF
3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	3. Mark Teixeira	1B
4. Kevin Youkilis	3B	4. Alex Rodriguez	3B
5. David Ortiz	DH	5. Robinson Cano	2B
6. J.D. Drew	RF	6. Nick Swisher	RF
7. Jed Lowrie	SS	7. Jorge Posada	DH
8. Carl Crawford	LF	8. Russell Martin	C
9. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	9. Brett Gardner	LF
Clay Buchholz	SP	Bartolo Colon	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.

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Video: Big Papi – In a New York state of mind [SOX & Dawgs]

Theo: Kalish likely won’t need surgery for shoulder injury [Clubhouse Insider]

Yanks just what the Sox need? [CSNNE.com]

Look past Molina for catcher help [CSNNE.com]

What to do with Lackey [CSNNE.com]

Pregame notes: Lackey assures Sox he’s OK [CSNNE.com]

Pedroia’s chance to turn it around [ESPN Boston]

A look at Gonzalez’s new hitting approach [ESPN Boston]

Five Questions for Red Sox-Yankees [ESPN Boston]

Schilling: Red Sox-Yankees takes a toll [ESPN Boston]

Girardi hopes Sox bring out ‘best’ in Yanks [ESPN Boston]

New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry has changed, but it’s still second to none in New York [ESPN NY]

The good, the bad and the expected [Extra Bases]

The Red Sox and Yankees keep it close [Extra Bases]

Kevin Millar on M&M: Don’t know which way to go with John Lackey [Full Count]

Comparing the Red Sox, Yankees lineups (the instant gratification edition) [Full Count]

Red Sox minor league depth updates: Kalish, Navarro, Linares [Full Count]

How Would You Have Reacted If Derek Jeter Signed With Red Sox This Past Offseason? [NESN.com]

Terry Francona, Red Sox Need to Build Momentum, Starting With Three-Game Set in the Bronx [NESN.com]

Heidi Watney Visits MLB Fan Cave, Chats With David Ortiz, Ozzie Smith [NESN.com]

Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry Continues to Draw Attention, But Rays Are Turning Heads in AL East [NESN.com]

Clay Buchholz Hoping to Extend Solid Run Into Bronx for Rare Success Against Yankees [NESN.com]

Middle of the plate. Belt high. [Nuggetpalooza]

A Series Matter: Red Sox-Yankees and Adversaries [Projo Sox Blog]

Pedroia could use big weekend in New York [Projo Sox Blog]

Bobby Jenks not throwing yet [Projo Sox Blog]

John Lackey to stick to routine as rotation turns [Projo Sox Blog]

Kalish unlikely to need surgery on shoulder [Projo Sox Blog]

Theo on possible changes: “There aren’t many opportunities to do that the first third of the season” [Projo Sox Blog]

MLB has questions about procedure done on Yankees’ Bartolo Colon [Providence Journal]

Yankees, Red Sox renew rivalry in Bronx [RedSox.com]

Doctors helping pitchers shoulder load [RedSox.com]

Boston’s ‘Tek appreciates Fan Cave tech [RedSox.com]

Yankees’, Red Sox’s struggles not surprising or enduring [Sporting News]

Photo credits: Getty Images, Getty Images

Every time the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees get together, it’s always a big deal. The games are usually on national television as evidenced by being on the MLB Network tonight, FOX tomorrow and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. 

When the two teams met up back in April, the Red Sox were 0-6. The Red Sox would take 2-of-3 games from the Yankees which happened to be their first two wins of the season. Now five weeks later, the Red Sox find themselves five games behind the first place Tampa Bay Rays and four games behind the second place Yankees.

Both teams are coming in off of two straight losses. Of course the two straight losses for the Red Sox came after getting to within a game of .500 on the season. The first time the Red Sox got to within a game of .500 they lost two straight. The second time they got to within a game of .500 they lost three straight.

So you can see this is an important series.

Say the Red Sox get swept. They would find themselves seven games behind the Yankees at the very least. But a sweep for the Red Sox would be a different story. For one, it would get them to within a game of the Yankees. But more importantly, it would get them back to what has been the elusive .500 mark on the season.

The Red Sox have the right pitchers going this weekend in Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester although Buchholz hasn’t been at his best yet. They have Carl Crawford swinging a hot bat. The same goes for Adrian Gonzalez. The bullpen should be back to normal now with yesterday’s day off meaning everyone will be available.

What the Red Sox need to have happen tonight is for everything to start clicking at once. And what better place to have that happen than on the national stage in the Big Apple.

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.

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Buchholz in the stopper role [Boston Globe]

Gotham stakes always up [Boston Globe]

Getting the break they greatly deserve [Boston Globe]

Man charged in case of stolen Sox memorabilia [Boston Globe]

Remy’s words are reassuring [Boston Globe]

Outfield shift working [Boston Globe]

Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford helping offense surge [Boston Herald]

Red Sox need taste of the Big Apple [Boston Herald]

Clay Buchholz talks game plan [Boston Herald]

Clay Buchholz and the Yankees [Boston Herald]

Now would be a good time to turn it on [Clubhouse Insider]

Lackey’s problems go beyond the mound [CSNNE.com]

Three off-day thoughts on the Red Sox [CSNNE.com]

Nation STATion: The Wakefield 44 [CSNNE.com]

What a difference a month makes [ESPN Boston]

Wheeler pitches well for Pawtucket [Extra Bases]

Daisuke Matsuzaka embracing additional rest in Red Sox rotation [Full Count]

Sox-Yanks Rivalry Moves To The Bronx This Weekend [Hartford Courant]

Heidi Watney Gives You a Tour of Rogers Centre in Toronto [NESN.com]

Adrian Gonzalez Locked In During Another Trademark Power Surge and Eight Other Red Sox Thoughts [NESN.com]

DeMarlo Hale the Newest Member of the Trenton Baseball Hall of Fame [OurSports Central]

Pitchers similar to Lackey have hit similar walls [Projo Sox Blog]

Buchholz hopes to halt his Yankees hex [Providence Journal]

Wheeler sees opportunity in move to Pawtucket [Providence Journal]

Why I’ve had enough with the underachieving Red Sox [Providence Journal]

Rest comes at right time for Red Sox [RedSox.com]

In New York, opportunity knocks for the Red Sox [Tony Massarotti – Boston Globe]

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: 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.

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UConn Men’s Basketball links

Huskies Going to Washington [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Jeremy Lamb To Attend USA Basketball U19 World Championship Training Camp [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Video: Maya Moore, Swin Cash And Others Speak From U.S. National Camp [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

UConn Football links

Poll: Big East’s defensive player of the year [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

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

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Huskies to Host Louisville in Three-Game Series [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball. UConn Keeping Close Eye On Matt Barnes’ Pitch Counts [Hartford Courant]

Are you a fan of the Boston Red Sox and wondering if you’ll be able to watch Saturday night’s game against the New York Yankees that will be broadcast on FOX?

Here’s the MLB on FOX Saturday breakdown courtesy of Fang’s Bites:

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees – 71%
ANNOUNCERS: Joe Buck, Tim McCarver & Ken Rosenthal
MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Tulsa, Washington, West Palm Beach.

San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs – 20%
ANNOUNCERS: Matt Vasgersian & Eric Karros
MARKETS INCLUDE: Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, St. Louis.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers – 8%
ANNOUNCERS: Kenny Albert & Mark Grace
MARKETS INCLUDE: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix