Monday, July 27^th @ 7:10 PM

Trevor Cahill (R) (6-8, 4.50) vs Josh Beckett (R) (11-4, 3.42)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Tuesday, July 28^th @ 7:10 PM

Vin Mazzaro (R) (2-7, 4.75) vs Clay Buchholz (R) (1-1, 3.72)

TV:NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Wednesday, July 29^th @ 7:10 PM

Brett Anderson (L) (5-8, 4.32) vs Brad Penny (R) (7-4, 4.71)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Thursday, July 30^th @ 1:35 PM

Gio Gonzalez (L) (2-2, 7.75) vs Jon Lester (L) (9-7, 3.79)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Here’s the press release from the Portland Sea Dogs detailing the promotion of Boston Red Sox prospect Junichi Tazawa to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox.

Portland, Maine– Portland Sea Dogs’ right-handed pitcher Junichi Tazawa has been promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. Right-handed pitcher Adam Mills rejoined the Sea Dogs from Single-A Lowell.

The 22 year-old Tazawa, has posted a 9-5 record in 18 starts for the Sea Dogs this season with a 2.57 ERA (28 ER/ 98.0 IP), his 2.57 ERA ranks second in the Eastern League. His nine wins are tied for second in the league and his 88 strikeouts are tied for third. Tazawa was named to the 2009 Eastern League All-Star team, but did not appear in the midsummer classic. He was also selected to the 2009 XM Satellite MLB Futures Game in St. Louis, Missouri. Tazawa was slated to start the Future’s Game for the World team before a rain delay scratched his appearance.

Tazawa was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent on December 11, 2008. He joined the Red Sox organization after a four-year amateur career with the Nippon Oil ENEOS of the Japan Industrial League. Tazawa posted a 13-1 record with five saves and 0.80 ERA (10 ER/ 113 IP) in 21 games (11 starts) in 2008. The Yokohama, Japan native is rated by Baseball America as the seventh ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization.

STORRS, Conn. – Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 22 as we celebrate our 2009 Women’s Basketball National Championship. Join Coach Geno Auriemma and our women’s basketball team at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington, Connecticut for an evening of highlights and reflections from their perfect 39-0 season.

Formal invitations will be mailed in the coming weeks to all current UConn Club members and women’s basketball season ticket holders.

We (UConn) hope you make plans to be with us for this memorable event to honor our National Champions.

Before Sunday afternoon, Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson were just Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. By about 2:30 PM, they were officially members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as they were inducted on Sunday afternoon in front of 51 Hall of Famers, numerous friends and guests and a crowd of around 21,000.

Joe Gordon was the first to be inducted, then Rice followed by Henderson. After their speeches, Tony Kubek was presented with the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence and Nick Peters wrapped the ceremony after receiving the J.G. Spink Taylor Award for excellence in baseball writing.

Rice will have his number retired in a ceremony on Tuesday night, July 28th before his Boston Red Sox take on the Oakland A’s.

Here are some videos from the afternoon. First up is the video tribute to Rice:

[flash http://ianbethune.com/ricetribute.flv w=510 h=287]

Rice’s plaque reading and speech video after the jump.

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Nick Markakis had a home run and 3 RBIs and rookie David Hernandez kept the hits to a minimum as the Baltimore Orioles went on to a 6-2 win over the Boston Red Sox in front of 37,606 on a nice summer Sunday afternoon for baseball at Fenway Park.

The win for the Orioles (42-55) snaps an 11-game losing streak at Fenway Park. The Red Sox drop to 57-40 and fall 2.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.

Hernandez is just the latest in a string of rookie pitchers to shutdown the Red Sox. He scattered just 5 hits over 7 innings and allowed one run while striking out 2 to pick up his third win of the season.

Jim Johnson allowed a run on a hit and a walk with a strikeout in an inning out of the bullpen and George Sherrill worked a perfect 9th.

The struggles in a Red Sox uniform continued on Sunday for John Smoltz, mainly his struggles with 2-outs. Four of the six runs Smoltz allowed came with two outs. He threw 86 pitches in 5 innings, giving up 9 hits and 1 walk while recording 6 strikeouts.

Justin Masterson worked two innings and walked one while striking out 2. Takashi Saito allowed a hit and walked two while striking out 1 in 1 1/3 innings. Ramon Ramirez retired the only two batters he faced on three pitches.

Jacoby Ellsbury had his third multi-hit game in a row with a 2-hit effort and his 45th stolen base of the season. Newcomer Adam LaRoche also added two hits while Dustin Pedroia and J.D. Drew had the other hits for the local nine. Pedroia and Jed Lowrie had the RBIs.

It’s tough watching a future Hall of Famer struggle on the mound. He seems to get too careful with two outs and it’s cost him in his last few outings.

The Red Sox will look to get back on track tomorrow when the Oakland A’s come into the Fens for a 4-game set. Trevor Cahill will start for the A’s and Josh Beckett takes the ball for the Red Sox.

While former Boston Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice is getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this afternoon, the only team he played for in his career will be going for a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles and their 11th straight win over them at Fenway Park.

The game this afternoon will start at 1:35 PM EDT and will be televised in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Orioles television market, you can catch the game on MASN. And if the television isn’t your cup of tea, you can catch the game on one of the many affiliates of the Red Sox Radio Network.

John Smoltz hasn’t had much luck in a Red Sox uniform in his 5 starts. He has pitched well at times but imploded in his last start after early success. He’s 1-3 with a 6.31 in those 5 starts. He’s faced the Orioles once this season and didn’t allow a run in 4 innings before leaving the game after a rain delay. He’s made 7 appearances (4 starts) against the Orioles in his career and is 1-1 with 3 saves and a 4.05 ERA.

David Hernandez is the 6th player on the Orioles to make his MLB debut and has made 7 appearances (6 starts). In those 7 appearances, he has a record of 2-2 with a 3.55 ERA. He has never faced the Red Sox.

Terry Francona, Nolan Ryan and bowties [Extra Bases]

Bringing the heat [Full Count]

It’s bowtie time [Full Count]

Red Sox weekly recap (Week 16) [Batter-up with Bruno]

And here is how the hitters have fared against this afternoon’s starting pitchers. No one on the Red Sox has faced Hernandez.

It appears the Boston Red Sox are still trying to acquire Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox offered up Justin Masterson, Michael Bowden and an outfield prospect for the Indians catcher only to have it rebuffed.

At this time of year, one takes trade information with a grain of salt, but according to one NL scout, after the Indians turned down Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez, the Sox countered with a package of Masterson, Michael Bowden, and an outfield prospect. The Indians turned it down.

Very interesting to see Masterson’s name in there but with the emergence of Daniel Bard, you have to wonder if the Red Sox have soured on Masterson. You have to figure that Bowden’s name will almost certainly come up in every trade rumor as the Red Sox would rather not part with Buchholz. I do wonder if the Red Sox increased the offer would the Indians accept it.

Buckle up folks, it’s going to be a long week of rumors as the trade deadline approaches on Friday afternoon.

Different varieties in Apple [Boston Globe]

The Boston Red Sox offense came to life last night at Fenway Park as they scored 7 runs in a win over the hapless Baltimore Orioles. It was the 11th straight win at Fenway Park over the Orioles.

David Ortiz got things going in the bottom of the 1st with a 3-run homer and newcomer Adam LaRoche added a 2-run homer in his first game as a member of the local nine. He’s the first Red Sox player to homer in his debut since Dustin Mohr did it back in 2006.

Jon Lester once again showed why the Red Sox have faith in him as he was dealing last night. His curveball was devastating to lefties and he had some serious heat and movement with his fastball and cutter. It’s just a shame that he got off to a bad start otherwise he’d probably be in contention for the AL Cy Young award.

The question today remains where the eyes of Red Sox Nation will be. Will they be watching John Smoltz and the Red Sox trying to go for the sweep of the Orioles or will they be focused on the MLB Network or MLB.com to watch former local nine great Jim Rice to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this afternoon?

While I don’t have the MLB Network, I will be watching the stream of Rice’s induction and speech as well as the game. I can’t say I’ll be totally focused on the game when it’s Rice’s turn to speak as I’m interested to see what he says. He’s been very diplomatic about having to wait 15 years to get in.

No matter what happens in the game though, it will truly be a great day here in Red Sox Nation as we get to see one of our greats, Rice, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He becomes the third Red Sox left fielder to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after playing their entire career in a Red Sox uniform.

And don’t forget on Tuesday night, Rice will join other Red Sox legends on the right field facade when they retire his No. 14.

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UConn Women’s Basketball links

Faris leads the way [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

“The Boss” chimes in [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

UConn Great Rebecca Lobo To Be Enshrined In Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame [BigEast.org]

Lobo to be inducted to Hall of Fame [Connecticut Post]

Taurasi’s penalty phase ends [Connecticut Post]

Rebecca Lobo Inducted Into Women’s Basketball Hall Of Fame [Hartford Courant]

Swin Cash Leads West To WNBA All-Star Game Victory [Hartford Courant]

Auriemma defends Taurasi [New Haven Register]

Lobo again at head of the Class [New Haven Register]

UConn’s stars shine brightest [New Haven Register]

Old Huskies turn All-Star game into reunion [Waterbury Republican-American]

Lobo Headed To Women’s Basketball Hall Of Fame [New London Day]

Swin Cash: From Back Surgery To All-Star Game MVP In Four Months [New London Day]

WNBA All-Star Game: Game has a UConn presence [Norwich Bulletin]

Lobo named to Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame [Norwich Bulletin]

ex-Husky Cash leads West to victory [Norwich Bulletin]

West stars Cash in with UConn alumni [New York Daily News]

UConn steals spotlight at All-Star Game [ESPN.com]

Women’s Hall Picks 6 for Induction [New York Times]

Renee Montgomery Hosts First Ever Hoops Camp [WVNS-TV]

Renee Montgomery Comes Home [WSAZ-TV]

All-Stars Back in Connecticut, but Their Hearts Never Left [New York Times]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Ater Majok [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Darius Smith Scores 25, Has Key Steal [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Kevin Ollie Camp [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Jonathan Mandeldove at Pro-Am [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

UConn Future Steals The Show At Pro-Am [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

The Locker Room Dance [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]