After losing 2-of-3 games in Toronto, the Boston Red Sox had yesterday off and now finish their 10-game road trip up with the Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox are currently 3-4 on the trip.

The game tonight will start at 7:05 PM EDT and will be televised in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Tigers television market, you can catch the game on FOX Sports Detroit. 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.

Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn’t pitched well in his two starts back from the disabled list and looks to change that tonight against the Tigers. In 4 starts this season, he is 0-3 with a 8.82 ERA. He has faced the Tigers four times in his career and is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA. In two starts at Comerica, he is 1-1 with a 6.30 ERA.

Jim Leyland turns the ball over to rookie Rick Porcello who has won his last 5 starts. Overall on the season, Porcello is 6-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 9 starts. In 4 starts at Comerica, Porcello is 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA and he’s never faced the Red Sox in his short career.

The Red Sox announced that Jeff Bailey had been optioned back to Pawtucket after the game on Sunday and have activated Mark Kotsay from the 15-day DL. Kotsay will act as a backup outfielder and Youk’s backup at first base as well as give the Red Sox a lefty bat off the bench.

New faces [Extra Bases]

Pitching has made Tigers a contender again, and tonight’s starter is a stud [Projo Sox Blog]

What if Red Sox had won Teixeira bidding war? [Projo Sox Blog]

Kotsay back in the fold, finally [Projo Sox Blog]

It’s hard to say goodbye to David Ortiz [Bill Simmons – ESPN The Mag]

Daisuke Has No Regrets [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]

Red Sox Report Card: No, Barbara Hersey Didn’t Shoot Nick Green [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]

Opposing Thoughts: Tigers need offense against Boston [NESN.com]

Five Reasons Why I Can’t Wait For the Return of Mark Kotsay [Surviving Grady]

How diehard are you? Topic: collectibles [Batter-up with Bruno]

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game:

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

The Boston Red Sox spent their day off on Monday in Detroit as they close out their road trip with a 3-game set with the Tigers.

The Red Sox starting pitching has turned the corner and is becoming a little more like what we expected when the season began. It’s up to Daisuke Matsuzaka to continue that trend tonight.

For whatever reason, the Red Sox seem to struggle at the plate when they are on the road. Maybe it’s the fact that there’s no Green Monster starring down the 3rd base line at them. They did however break out of their shell in their last game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Red Sox enter tonight’s game 1 game behind their hated rivals to the south to the New York Yankees. It might be closer but the local nine is just 12-16 on the road this season. They are currently 3-4 on this 10-game trip and would need a sweep of the Tigers to finish above .500 on the trip.

For Lester, success brings more challenges [Boston Globe]

Inbox: What will Sox do with Smoltz? [RedSox.com]

Daisuke Matsuzaka can’t avoid trouble [Boston Herald]

At one-third mark of season, Red Sox appear to have their best baseball still to come [Providence Journal]

Starts and stops for Sox [Boston Globe]

Clock’s ticking for Theo Epstein [Boston Herald]

A Look at How Boston’s Top 10 Picks from 2008 are Performing [Wicked Good Sports]

Junichi Tazawa taking different route to the bigs [Boston Herald]

Sox Hit June [Hit and Run With Dan Roche]

Monday (Very) Quickie [Nuggetpalooza]

Taking stock of Sox while rounding a third [Tony Massarotti Blog]

Red-hot Kotsay appears ready to rejoin club [NESN.com]

Just keep the faith, Sox fans, better days are ahead [Portland Press Herald]

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

And if the enemy papers are more your flavor, you can check out the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press websites.

UConn Football links

Today Is The Day [Desmond Conner | UCONN Football]

Any Consideration Being Given To Expanding (The Rent)? [Desmond Conner | UCONN Football]

Lower Chairback Season Tickets Sold Out For 2009 [UConnHuskies.com]

Premature Assessments: UConn, poorer but hanging tough [Dr. Saturday]

2009 Connecticut Huskies Football Preview [College Sports Fans]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Questions answered: Through Video! [Alysa Auriemma]

Mosqueda-Lewis in no rush [Jim Fuller | UConn women’s basketball]

Swanier cut loose [Jim Fuller | UConn women’s basketball]

Diana Taurasi talks about UConn, Geno, Olympics, Marisa, St. Louis, etc. [John Altavilla | UConn women’s basketball]

Kaleena Content On Waiting [Rich Elliott | UConn women’s basketball]

BIG EAST Announces 2009-10 Women’s Basketball Home/Away Opponents [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn women’s notebook: Huskies lose a date with Rutgers [Connecticut Post]

UConn Women To Face Irish Twice [Hartford Courant]

UConn women to play Notre Dame twice, Rutgers once [Norwich Bulletin]

Irish, Huskies to play 2 in women’s hoops [Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Thabeet’s offense needs work, but ‘I can always play defense’ [Sporting News]

Price, Adrien at the combine [Mike Anthony | UConn men’s basketball]

Hasheem Thabeet: Combine Interview [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Other UConn related links

Well Played, Hubert Cumberdale [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

How Not To Chest Bump Your Girlfriend [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

Tuesday, June 2^nd @ 7:05 PM

Daisuke Matsuzaka (R) (0-3, 8.82) vs Rick Porcello (R) (6-3, 3.48)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Wednesday, June 3^rd @ 7:05 PM

Josh Beckett (R) (5-2, 4.60) vs Armando Galarraga (R) (3-5, 5.50)

TV:NESN, ESPN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Thursday, June 4^th @ 1:05 PM

Tim Wakefield (R) (6-3, 4.55) vs Dontrelle Willis (L) (1-2, 5.56)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

For the past few years, the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team has played the Rutgers Scarlet Knights twice a year during Big East play.

For the 2009-2010, it changes as they will play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a home-and-home series. The Huskies will play the Scarlet Knights at home this year.

And for everyone wondering whether or not Jamelle Elliott will be returning to Connecticut, yes she will be as Cincinnati will come to either Gampel Pavilion or the XL Center.

Here’s how the UConn women’s Big East Schedule breaks down:

Home – Cincinnati, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, South Florida and West Virginia.

Road – DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Syracuse and Villanova.

For just under a year, the Boston Red Sox ruled Connecticut as the most favorite baseball team by it’s residents. But in 2009, the tide has turned as the latest Quinnipiac University Poll shows that Connecticut is once again a New York Yankees state.

In the latest poll, 42% of Connecticut residents favor the Yankees as their favorite team while 38% are Red Sox fans and just 9% are New York Mets fans.

Here is how it breaks down by county:

I would like to point out that I live in Hartford County where the Red Sox are the top dog.

Yankees Bump Sox Out Of Top Spot In Connecticut, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds [Quinnipiac University]

Connecticut Is No Longer In A New York State of Mind [SOX & Dawgs]

After seeing the Toronto Blue Jays take the first two games, the Boston Red Sox took the field yesterday looking to avoid being swept with Jon Lester on the mound.

Lester has had an up-and-down season this year where he’ll have a good outing followed by a bad one. In most of the bad games he’s had, it’s usually been just one bad inning, mainly the 5th inning. Well yesterday, Lester had a great outing as he struck out 12 in 6 innings of work. The best part is the fact that he avoided the bad inning.

He had command of all his pitches and seemed to throw more changeups than he would in a normal outing. The only thing Lester wasn’t happy about is the fact that he had to leave after 6 innings due to his pitch count being high.

Hopefully, Lester builds upon this outing and goes on a nice little run of good starts.

More good news for the Red Sox is the fact that John Smoltz had another positive outing for the Single-A Greenville Drive last night. Smoltz threw 75 pitches, 52 for strikes, in 5 innings of work. He allowed 1 run on 4 hits and struck out 6. He will make two more rehab starts with the Pawtucket Red Sox before making his Red Sox debut on June 16th (projected date)

“I felt really good,” said Smoltz after the outing. “And for the most part, I tried to establish my fastball. I had a cranky beginning, but it worked itself out and I got into a nice little groove.”

“I think I’m going to get a little more complete each time,” Smoltz said. “For the most part, I’m really pleased with today’s effort. I felt really fresh in the fifth inning, even though it’s the longest stint I’ve had.”

Smoltz gets back in the game in Greenville [Greenville News]

Smoltz’s latest rehab start a success [RedSox.com]

Smoltz records 6 Ks for Drive [AP via Boston Globe]

Lineup shuffle produces a power surge [Boston Globe]

New lineup hits stride, backs Jon Lester [Boston Herald]

Lester strikes out 12; Boston hitters crush 4 home runs [Providence Journal]

Homer made game a happening for Pedroia [Boston Globe]

All’s right for Jon Lester [Boston Herald]

On this Sunday, Lester shined from beginning to end [Providence Journal]

Papi’s new stance pays off [Full Count]

Righted by lefty [Boston Globe]

Bunting marks special occasion [Boston Herald]

With few home runs, Pedroia still a key to Red Sox offense [Providence Journal]

HR Derby not for Bay [Full Count]

Terry Francona tinkers with order [Boston Herald]

Baldelli’s knee fine, should be available Tuesday [Projo Sox Blog]

Francona after Sox’ win over Jays [Full Count]

Lee County under the deadline gun to make decision on Red Sox land [Naples Daily News]

Despite early success, Sox have issues [The Eagle Tribune]

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

And if the enemy papers are more your flavor, you can head over to the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun websites.