Tuesday, May 11^th @ 10:05 PM

Justin Masterson (R) (2-2, 5.28) vs Jered Weaver (R) (3-1, 2.66)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Wednesday, May 13^th @ 10:05 PM

Tim Wakefield (R) (4-1, 2.93) vs Matt Palmer (R) (3-0, 3.06)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Thursday, May 14^th @ 3:35 PM

Brad Penny (R) (3-1, 6.90) vs Joe Saunders (L) (5-1, 2.66)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

UConn Football links

The Big East’s best: Robert Vaughn, No. 16 [Big East Blog – ESPN.com]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

2009 NBA Draft: Connecticut Huskies [isportsweb]

Other UConn related links

Baseball: Springer Hits Two Homers to Lead UConn Over Pittsburgh 8-5 [UConnHuskies.com]

It’s become a recurring theme lately with Jason Bay and late inning heroics.

Last night in the 8th inning with the game tied at 3 between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, Bay came up with a chance to be a hero yet again and as he’s done all season long, he got the job done driving in David Ortiz with the winning run on a double.

Jonathan Papelbon made it interesting again in the 9th but got the save to help the Red Sox to their first series win over the Rays since June 3-5, 2008. Before this series, the Rays had taken six straight series from the Red Sox including the 2008 ALCS.

Some people had written off the Red Sox last night because Matt Garza was on the mound for the Rays. Sure Garza had some nasty stuff but the Red Sox were able to touch him up for 3 runs in 7 innings of work. Unfortunately for them, Josh Beckett wasn’t able to protect the 3-1 lead.

I’m not saying Beckett pitched all that badly because he really didn’t. He just didn’t bear down at the right time. A couple pitches out over the plate was the difference for him. The good thing to come out of the outing from Beckett is the fact that he didn’t give up the big inning, something’s that plagued him in some of his starts this season.

Is there any hitter right now on the Red Sox besides Bay you’d want up in a clutch situation? Maybe a healthy Kevin Youkilis but right now I’ll put my money on Bay. He continues to get the job done and is definitely playing himself into a nice contract for years to come as he is a free agent at the end of the season.

The Red Sox are off today as they traveled to Anaheim last night for a 3-game set with the Angels. This is the final west coast swing for the Red Sox this season. They’ll finish this trip off in Seattle with a 3-game set as well with the Mariners.

Pair of doubles help Sox complete the triple [Boston Globe]

Jonathan Papelbon rebounds to blow away Rays [Boston Herald]

Red Sox Defeat Rays [Hartford Courant]

Red Sox 4, Rays 3 [Projo Sox Blog]

Quick promotion for Bard [Boston Globe]

David Ortiz glad for Glen ’Big Baby’ Davis [Boston Herald]

Bard Called Up From Pawtucket [Hartford Courant]

Rays’ Can’t Stop Perfect Night in Boston Sports [Projo Sox Blog]

Pedroia incurs groin injury [Boston Globe]

Prospect arrives to try and write a big ending [Boston Herald]

Virtually unhittable in Pawtucket, Bard gets promotion [Providence Journal]

Let’s end the silent treatment [Boston Globe]

Dustin Pedroia tweaks groin, will sit [Boston Herald]

Red Sox journal: Buchholz making progress [Providence Journal]

Masterson unfazed by recent struggles [RedSox.com]

He keeps the players playing [Boston Globe]

Baldelli impressed with former teammate [Projo Sox Blog]

Lowell, Sox join MLB with pink tribute [RedSox.com]

Red Sox farm system stocked with high-ceiling starting pitching prospects [Wicked Good Sports]

Thank You, Jason Bay [Center Field]

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

And if you must see what the enemy papers are saying you can check out the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times websites.

Jason Bay worked his late inning magic again as his double knocked in David Ortiz with the go-ahead run and Jonathan Papelbon finished it off to give the Boston Red Sox a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in front of 37,759 and a national television audience on ESPN at Fenway Park.

It’s the first series win for the Red Sox against the Rays since June 3-5, 2008 and snaps a streak of 6 consecutive series wins for the Rays against the Sox including the 2008 ALCS. The local nine improves to 20-12 and the Rays drop to 15-18.

Brian Shouse took over for Rays starter Matt Garza in the 8th inning and allowed a leadoff double to Big Papi. Rhode Island’s Dan Wheeler came in and uncorked a wild pitch with Bay at the plate to move Papi over to third. Bay followed that up with a wall ball double to easily score Ortiz and give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead.

Papelbon took over for Ramon Ramirez in the 9th and gave up a leadoff walk to Akinori Iwamura. Papelbon threw over to first to keep Iwamura close but his throw got away from Jeff Bailey and it allowed Iwamura to get in scoring position. Jason Bartlett singled weakly to center that kept Iwamura from scoring.

Carlos Peña pinch-hit for Dioner Navarro and Papelbon got him to strikeout as Bartlett stole second base. Papelbon finished it off with strikeouts of B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford to pick up his 8th save of the season.

Josh Beckett got the start for the Red Sox in this one and while he wasn’t totally dominant, he pitched a lot better than he has as of late. He went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while recording 5 strikeouts.

Hideki Okajima looks like 2007 Darkman Okajima right now as he worked 1 2/3 innings with 2 strikeouts. Ramirez retired the only batter he faced to pick up a vulture win.

For the first time in a long time, the Red Sox were able to get to Garza for some runs. He went 7 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8. Shouse took the loss as the only batted he faced, Big Papi, reached and scored. Wheeler gave up a hit and a walk and had a strikeout in an inning of work.

Both Bay and Nick Green led the Red Sox with 2 hits as they both had RBIs. Jason Varitek and J.D. Drew both had the other RBIs for the local nine.

The Red Sox did lose Dustin Pedroia to a strained right groin in the 4th inning and he’s listed as being day-to-day.

The Rays would get on the scoreboard first in the game in the 1st inning.

Continue reading →

My apologies for not getting to the morning roundup for the Boston Red Sox news & notes as Mother’s Day festivities precluded me from getting on the computer until this afternoon.

After getting their butts handed to them yesterday afternoon by the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox will try to do something that they haven’t done in a long time and that’s take a series from the Rays.

Tonight’s game will start at 8:05 PM and the game will be televised on ESPN and ESPNHD. Also, if you’re internet service provider gives you access to ESPN360, you can watch the game online. 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.

In order to take the series, the Red Sox will need Josh Beckett to become Commander KickA$$ of the KickA$$ Brigade again. Beckett is 1-1 this season with a 6.17 ERA in 2 starts against the Rays this season and is 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 12 career starts. Tonight marks the 200th start (203 appearances) of Beckett’s career and it is 97th in a Red Sox uniform.

Standing in the way of the Red Sox tonight is their nemesis on the mound in Matt Garza. He has completely owned the Red Sox in his career going 5-1 with 2.85 ERA in 8 starts and holding to the Red Sox to a .202 batting average (35-for-173) over that span. This season, he is 2-0 with a 0.61 ERA and has held the Red Sox to a .102 batting average (5-for-49).

The Red Sox did make a roster move today as they have called up Daniel Bard from Triple-A Pawtucket. To make room on the 25-man and 40-man rosters, they have designated Javier Lopez for assignment.

Red Sox gear up for tough Garza [RedSox.com]

The Daniel Bard Era begins [Full Count]

Daniel Bard up; Javy Lopez out [Extra Bases]

Merloni: Sox never encouraged steroid use [Extra Bases]

Bad defense or bad luck for the Sox? [Full Count]

Bard ready for his next challenge — the big leagues[Projo Sox Blog]

Sox, Lugo walk the line [Tony Massarotti Blog]

Mother’s Day Fashion Statements [Full Count]

O’Leary creating baseball reality show [RedSox.com]

FOX hates the Boston Red Sox [Batter-up with Bruno]

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game:

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