Boston Red Sox @ Baltimore Orioles 1:35 p.m Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD SP: Josh Beckett vs Kevin Millwood TV: NESN, MLB.tv Radio: Red Sox Radio Network

Afternoon Red Sox Delight -5/2 [SOX & Dawgs]

I know most of the ones who are coming are regulars from Center Field. If you could please spread the word to the others who chatted during the games there, I would deeply appreciate it. I miss the old days like you do in those threads so let’s try to make it as good. Mi casa es su casa.

The Boston Red Sox went into this weekend’s series with the Baltimore Orioles coming off a 3-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. Now this afternoon, the Red Sox look to avoid being swept by the last place Orioles.

This afternoon’s game will start at 1:35 p.m. and will be shown on NESN in the Red Sox television market. The game can be seen in the Orioles television market on MASN and WJZ-13. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2010 Red Sox radio network.

Josh Beckett will be asked to help the Red Sox avoid the sweep by the Orioles. He’s made five starts this season and is 1-0 with a 7.22 ERA. He hasn’t faced the Orioles yet this season but was 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in three starts against them in 2009. Overall in his career, Beckett is 6-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 12 starts against them. In eight career starts at Camden Yards, he is 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA.

Kevin Millwood has made five starts for the Orioles in 2010 and is 0-3 with a 3.38 ERA. He hasn’t faced the Red Sox in 2010 but was 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three starts against them as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2009. Millwood has made 15 career starts against the Red Sox and is 6-4 with a 3.84 ERA.

Lineups, batter/pitcher matchups, and links after the jump.

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

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

Red Sox weekly recap (Week 4) [Batter-up with Bruno]

Orioles spoil Matsuzaka’s return [Boston Globe]

Drew gets himself in line for improvement [Boston Globe]

Ortiz’s bat shows signs of life [Boston Globe]

He’s grateful to be left alone [Boston Globe]

Daisuke Matsuzaka doesn’t pay off [Boston Herald]

Daisuke Matsuzaka still must prove himself [Boston Herald]

Miguel Tejada’s pulling for David Ortiz [Boston Herald]

Talent has Red Sox grooving to a Cuban beat [Boston Herald]

A relief for Scott Schoeneweis [Boston Herald]

For Jon Lester, April the unkindest month [Boston Herald]

Dice-K, Wakefield implode, Sox lose, 12-9 [CSN New England]

Little relief, no excuses from Wakefield [ESPN Boston]

Daisuke, the postmortem [ESPN Boston]

The Baltimore chop [Extra Bases]

Youkilis out of lineup [Extra Bases]

Closing Time: Orioles 12, Red Sox 9 [Full Count]

Challenge Time….Early [Hit and Run with Dan Roche]

Report: Red Sox Acquire Middle Infielder Niuman Romero from Indians [NESN.com]

Despite Poor Start, Red Sox Plan to Keep Daisuke Matsuzaka in Rotation [NESN.com]

David Ortiz Isn’t Finished Yet, and Neither Are Red Sox [NESN.com]

Clay Buchholz, Tim Wakefield Co-Captains in Jimmy Fund-Dana Farber Initiative [NESN.com]

Can Victor Martinez End Hitting Slump While Catching? [NESN.com]

Medic Ashley Peterson Honored, Excited to Participate in Run to Home Base 9K [NESN.com]

Tim Wakefield, Clay Buchholz Deliver For Jimmy Fund [NESN.com]

John Farrell: Red Sox Pitching Staff ‘Looking to Gain Some Consistency’ [NESN.com]

The story of Dice-K’s slider [Projo Sox Blog]

Fun night, sort of, for Van Every [Projo Sox Blog]

Wakefield still doesn’t know how often he’ll pitch [Projo Sox Blog]

Beckett trying to get out of own head [Projo Sox Blog]

Youkilis scratched with sore groin [Projo Sox Blog]

Dice-K stumbles in return to the hill [Providence Journal]

On or off field, Varitek is still Red Sox’ leader [Providence Journal]

Are the glory days gone for Boston’s teams? [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Wakefield hammered in first relief stint [Providence Journal]

Schoeneweis rediscovers love for game [RedSox.com]

Hermida gives sore left quad a rest [RedSox.com]

Ortiz shows off some pop in loss to Orioles [RedSox.com]

Decisions aren’t getting any easier for the Red Sox [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]

It looked like Orioles Park at Camden Yards turned into Coors Field as the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox combined for ten home runs. The Orioles won that battle out-homering the Red Sox 6-4 and also taking the game, winning 12-9 on Saturday night.

Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first start of 2010 for the Red Sox and looked great for the first four innings, allowing just one hit and one run. Then the 5th inning happened where he was rocked for six runs. Tim Wakefield took over for Dice-K and wasn’t much better as he was torched for five runs.

While Dice-K gave up a few walks early on, he was able to work out of any trouble they put him in except for the first inning run. But in the 5th, he had trouble locating his fastball and the Orioles took full advantage of that. Whenever Dice-K takes the mound, we never really know what we’re going to get. And last night it was the Dice-K that shouldn’t really be in the rotation right now.

If he gets lit up again in his next start, you have to wonder what the Red Sox will do with him. They have a lot of money invested in him and releasing him isn’t an option. He’s got a clause in his contract that he can’t go to the minors so they’d probably have to put him in the bullpen, switching spots with Wake.

You can’t really blame Wake for his troubles last night. He was making his first appearance out of the bullpen in a very long time. It’s not an easy transition when you’ve been starting all season and then suddenly are forced to change your routine. Baseball players are creatures of habit and anything that changes that, can be disruptful.

On Saturday morning, I wrote that David Ortiz looked like he was entering his final days of wearing a Red Sox uniform. I will now eat my words. After watching him hit two home runs on Saturday night, including a towering shot off of a lefty, I fully think that he’s back.

The swing he made on the home run off Alberto Castillo was remincisent of Big Papi past. Terry Francona said he would get regular playing time over the weekend and it’s starting to pay off. Let’s just hope Big Papi builds off of last night’s two home runs and continues it as the Red Sox go forward.

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

And if you must read the enemy paper, head over to the Baltimore Sun website. Or you can check out our Bloguin brother, the Oriole Post.

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

UConn Football links

Big Ten expansion talk has Big East, other conferences vigilant [CT Post]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Calhoun’s contract came much too late [New Haven Register]

Other UConn related links

Women’s Lacrosse: Huskies Fall to No. 14 Notre Dame on Senior Day in Storrs [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball: Huskies Drop Two To Nova [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball: Huskies Defeat Pittsburgh 11-7 in Game One of Saturday Double Header [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball: Baseball Falls to Pittsburgh 13-4 [UConnHuskies.com]

Boston Red Sox @ Baltimore Orioles 7:05 p.m Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD SP: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs Brad Bergesen TV: NESN, MLB.tv Radio: Red Sox Radio Network

Afternoon Red Sox Delight -5/1 [SOX & Dawgs]

I know most of the ones who are coming are regulars from Center Field. If you could please spread the word to the others who chatted during the games there, I would deeply appreciate it. I miss the old days like you do in those threads so let’s try to make it as good. Mi casa es su casa.

Despite a quality start from John Lackey, the Boston Red Sox bullpen couldn’t make it hold up last night. Tonight, the Red Sox look to pick up a win against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in the second game of a three-game set.

Tonight’s game will start at 7:05 p.m. and will be shown on NESN in the Red Sox television market. The game can be seen in the Orioles television market on MASN. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2010 Red Sox radio network.

Daisuke Matsuzaka returns to the rotation after missing the month of April with a stiff neck suffered during spring training. Matsuzaka made three rehab starts with the Pawtucket Red Sox and was 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA. He made one start against the O’s in 2009, picking up the win after allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings.  Dice-K has made six career starts against the Orioles and is 3-1 with a 4.78 ERA. He’s made four career starts at Camden Yards and is 2-1 with a 6.30 ERA.

Brad Bergesen makes the start for the Orioles after being called up from Triple-A Norfolk. Bergesen was sent there on April 19th after making three starts for the Orioles in which he was 0-2 with a 12.19 ERA. He’s made two career starts against the Red Sox and is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA.

Lineups, batter/pitcher matchups, and links after the jump.

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

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

Two big stars at second base [Extra Bases]

Positives/Negatives [Hit and Run with Dan Roche]

Photos from last night: Red Sox vs Orioles [Oriole Post]

Hermida out with sore quad [Projo Sox Blog]

Embree DFA’ed to make room for Matsuzaka [Projo Sox Blog]

Home runs costing Red Sox relievers [Projo Sox Blog]

Dice-K ready to roll for first time in 2010 [RedSox.com]