Friday, April 24^th @ 7:10 PM

Joba Chamberlain (R) (0-0, 5.06) vs Jon Lester (L) (1-2, 5.50)

TV: NESN, YES, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Saturday, April 25^th @ 4:10 PM

A.J. Burnett (R) (2-0, 3.20) vs Josh Beckett (R) (2-1, 3.79)

TV: FOX

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Sunday, April 26^th @ 8:05 PM

Andy Pettitte (L) (2-0, 2.53) vs Justin Masterson (R) (1-0, 3.18)

TV: ESPN

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

UConn Football links

On the Clock: RB Donald Brown [SF49ers.com]

NFL Draft week avalanche [John Silver – Journal Inquirer]

Chip (Malafronte) On The check In [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Huskies’ Brown runs into spotlight [Waterbury Republican-American]

Brown gains ground with NFL teams [New Haven Register]

UConn’s Brown waits for NFL Draft call [Connecticut Post]

UConn’s Butler Has Proved Himself Ready For NFL [Hartford Courant]

Where Will Darius Butler Go? [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn Women’s season wrap-up [Mansfield Today]

Making the grade [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

UConn women have brains, too [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Who is the best UConn men’s basketball player ever? [ESPN the Magazine]

Dennis, Pickett not expected to visit this weekend [Matt Stout – Norwich Bulletin]

UConn basketball news [Gavin Keefe – New London Day]

UConn men to play Kentucky on Dec. 9 [Waterbury Republican-American]

Coach Cal vs. Calhoun [New Haven Register]

Bulls-Celtics series a treat for UConn fans, too [Connecticut Post]

UConn to play Kentucky at MSG [Connecticut Post]

Other UConn related links

Baseball/Softball: Help Strike Out Cancer! [UConnHuskies.com]

Three UConn Athletic Programs Acknowledged for Academic Achievement [UConnHuskies.com]

Field Hockey’s Cara Silverman Named to USA Open Field Hockey Team [UConnHuskies.com]

Five Field Hockey Players named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s 2008 National Academic Squad [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball: Huskies Fall to Rhode Island 3-1 [UConnHuskies.com]

After sweeping the Minnesota Twins yesterday to push their winning streak to 7 games, the Boston Red Sox will enjoy a well deserved day off today after spending the entire day yesterday at Fenway Park.

Tim Wakefield continued to build on his near no-hitter as he threw a 7-inning complete game in the Game 1 win. He allowed just one run and had the good knuckleball again. You know things are going well when Wake doesn’t have to use his fastball. He even mixed in a few curveballs as well.

Everyone was worried about how George Kottaras would handle Wakefield this season. By Wakefield’s account, Kottaras is doing a great job as he helped out a few times with his mechanics. Plus Kottaras is hitting just a little better at the plate to start the season (.286) then his predecessors in Doug Mirabelli and Kevin Cash.

David Ortiz looks as though as he’s finally found his stroke again after struggling to start the season. One thing to remember is that Ortiz started off slowly last year. The change in his mechanics over the weekend has definitely paid off as he’s been going with the pitch and that means taking advantage of the Green Monster.

Nick Green continues to fill in admirably for the combination of Jed Lowrie/Julio Lugo and that has some Red Sox fans clamoring for Lugo to stay on the bench when he returns from the disabled list. Green hasn’t been a wizard with the glove like Lowrie but he’s probably doing a little better at the plate than Lugo probably ever will. It does seem like though that every time he makes an error in the field, he atones for it with his bat. Personally, I think Green makes this a better team than with Lugo.

So now we wait and let the Red Sox players enjoy their off day before all heck breaks loose when their rivals to the south, the New York Yankees, come to Fenway Park for the first 3-of-18 games on the season.

Hot Red Sox get out of rain [Boston Herald]

Wakefield, Sox top Twins in rain-shortened opener [Boston Globe]

Red Sox Sweep Twins Behind Wakefield, Penny [Hartford Courant]

Red Sox 10, Twins 1: Wakefield goes distance in rain-shortened 7-inning game [Providence Journal]

Fizzle or sizzle [Boston Herald]

No question, Red Sox on roll [Boston Globe]

Red Sox 7, Twins 3: Boston sweeps Minnesota [Providence Journal]

Tim Wakefield in control again [Boston Herald]

Bailey cashes in for Red Sox right off the bat [Providence Journal]

Ortiz starting to hit stride [Boston Globe]

Nick Green helps environment [Boston Herald]

He’s down with that [Boston Globe]

Penny is solid again, with some help from his teammates [Providence Journal]

Jeff Bailey brings up a big bat [Boston Herald]

Lee County turns over e-mails to FBI [Boston Globe]

Red Sox cleaning up with Youkilis hitting fourth [Providence Journal]

Five Things We Learned: Terry Francona Knows How To Throw a Party [WEEI.com]

Diehard Red Sox fans quarried the granite for Yankee Stadium [Wicked Good Sports]

Ortiz talks between games [Full Count]

A lesson in rainout rules for both sides [Providence Journal]

10 Questions with Nick Green [WEEI.com]

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

And if you must check out the enemy papers, head over to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Pioneer Press websites.

Chris Carter: According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the Boston Red Sox will be making a roster move before Friday’s series with the New York Yankees as he has learned that Chris Carter will be sent down to Pawtucket. No word on a corresponding roster at this time. Bradford does speculate that Jonathan Van Every could be activated from the DL and added to the roster. [WEEI.com]

After being the last man cut in spring training and starting the season in the minors, Jeff Bailey made a nice impression tonight in his return to Fenway Park as he hit a 3-run home run to help the Boston Red Sox to a 7-3 win over the Minnesota Twins to complete a 2-game sweep on Terry Francona’s 50th birthday.

It’s the 7th straight win for the Red Sox as they improve to 9-6 while the Twins fall to 7-9 after sweeping the Angels last weekend.

By his own admission, Brad Penny (2-0, 7.80) wasn’t great tonight but he was definitely a lot better than last Friday night’s debacle. Penny did his job by giving the Red Sox 6 innings of work, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 2.

The Red Sox bullpen continued to shine as Ramon Ramirez, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon each worked a hitless and scoreless inning with Okajima recording a strikeout.

Francisco Liriano’s struggles continued  for the Minnesota Twins. Liriano (0-4, 7.06) went 4 innings, giving up 7 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks while recording 6 strikeouts. Matt Guerrier, Luis Ayala and Jose Mijares combined to hold the Red Sox to one hit over the final 4 innings.

The Red Sox managed just 5 hits in the game with two of them coming off the bat of Nick Green (both were doubles). Bailey had one of the big hits knocking in 3 with home run while Big Papi continues to swing a hot piece of lumber with a double and 2 RBIs. Dustin Pedroia had the other hit for the Red Sox with an RBI and Jacoby Ellsbury added a RBI on a groundout.

Liriano shut down the Red Sox in the 1st inning but ran into the bat of Bailey in the 2nd.

He started the inning with a strikeout of Kevin Youkilis (3 K’s on the night) and then walked J.D. Drew. He struck out Jason Bay for the second out but then plunked Jason Varitek. Liriano left a meatball out over the plate and Bailey crushed that for a 3-run home run into the Green Monster seats.

Penny got some help from the defense in the 3rd inning when Brendan Harris lined into a double play after Denard Span had singled.

Ellsbury worked a walk to start the bottom of the 3rd and he went to third on a Pedroia double. Big Papi brought them both home with a wall-ball double to put the Red Sox up 5-0. With Youk at the plate, Papi went to third on a wild pitch by Liriano. Papi was left stranded there though as Youk  and Drew struck out, Bay walked and the Captain flew out to right.

The Canadian Crusher, Justin Morneau, led off the 4th with a blast to deep center to cut the lead to 5-1. Kubel followed with a ground rule double in almost the exact same spot. Penny got Michael Cuddyer to pop out but Brian Buscher reached on a Green error that allowed Kubel to score. Penny got out of any further trouble by getting Delmon Young to fly out and Jose Morales to ground out.

The Red Sox picked up their pitcher though as they got the runs back in the bottom half of the inning.

Liriano walked Bailey and Green followed with a double as Bailey stopped at third to say hi to DeMarlo Hale. Ellsbury brought in Bailey with a RBI groundout to the right side and Pedroia brought in Green with a sacrifice fly to provide the final margin of 7-2.

A very long day of baseball at the Fens today for the local nine but a very satisfying day with the two wins. The starting pitching today did their job keeping the bullpen use to a minimum and the bats continue get it done as well.

The Red Sox will be riding high when their rivals to the south, the New York Yankees, come into Fenway for a 3-game set that starts on Friday night at 7:15 PM. Jon Lester will start for the Red Sox and be opposed by Joba Chamberlain.

Will there be fireworks once again between Youk and Joba? We should know that before 7:30 PM on Friday night.

Continue reading →

After beating the Minnesota Twins 10-1 in a 7-inning rain-shortened affair at Fenway Park this afternoon, the Boston Red Sox look to continue their 6-game winning streak with another win.

Tonight’s game, weather permitting of course, is scheduled to start at 7:10 PM. With the Boston Bruins playing tonight, the Red Sox have been relegated to the NESN Plus channel. You can also catch the game on the radio on one of the many affiliates of the Red Sox Radio Network.

That task is up to Brad Penny who struggled in his first Fenway start for the Red Sox last Friday night. He gave up 8 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks while fanning one over 3 innings. Penny has faced the Twins once in his career and has no record with a 7.50 ERA (5 ER in 6 innings).

Francisco Liriano will look to stop the Red Sox winning streak and also for his first win of the season. He is 0-3 with 5.09 ERA this season and has never faced the Red Sox in his career.

Wakefield in rare company [Clubhouse Insider]

20 Things About the Red Sox [Full Count]

Lowell given night off [Projo Sox Blog]

Wakefield makes history [Full Count]

FBI requests e-mails related to Red Sox facility [AP via Boston Herald]

If postponed, series finale would be played Thursday at 1:35 p.m. [WEEI.com]

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