The Boston Red Sox have had their struggles against rookie pitchers this season and that was once again the case at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday afternoon.

Marc Rzepczynski was effectively wild holding the Red Sox to just one run in the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 win in front of 36,926.

The win drops the Red Sox lead in the AL East to 2 games as the Yankees beat the Tigers this afternoon. The Jays improve to 45-47 and are now 11 games behind the local nine.

Brad Penny was on the bump for the Red Sox and wasn’t very effective this time out. He threw just over 50% of his 82 pitches for strikes. He took his 4th loss of the season as he allowed 6 runs on 8 hits and walk with 3 strikeouts in 5 innings.

The Red Sox bullpen had another nice day on the mound as Justin Masterson and Ramon Ramirez combined on 3 hitless and scoreless innings. Masterson struck out one while Ramirez walked 1 and struck out 2.

Rzepczynski picked up his first big league win in just his 4th start as he allowed the one run on 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 4.

Jesse Carlson allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning while Jeremy Accardo, Jason Frasor and Scott Downs shutdown the Red Sox the rest of the way.

The Red Sox managed just six hits on the afternoon.

Jed Lowrie returned to the Red Sox lineup and added a solo home run off of Carlson. Rocco Baldelli knocked in the other run for the Red Sox with a single. Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay and Mike Lowell had the other hits.

With Clay Buchholz throwing well last night and Penny starting out bad the second half, you have to wonder if Red Sox GM Theo Epstein would think about moving Penny. Just a thought in my head.

It should be a great pitching matchup tomorrow afternoon in Toronto as Jon Lester and Roy Halladay square off. First pitch from Halladay is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. EDT.

The Boston Red Sox kicked off the 6-game road trip with some solid pitching from Clay Buchholz last night. Today, they look to make it 2 in-a-row against the struggling Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.

The game this afternoon will start at 1:07 PM EDT and will be televised in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Blue Jays television market, you can catch the game on SportsNet. 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.

Brad Penny makes his 18th start of the season for Terry Francona. He’s 6-3 with a 4.71 ERA and had as string of 7 consecutive outings of 100 pitches snapped his last time out. He’s made two starts against the Jays this season and is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA. Penny has made 6 career starts against the Blue Jays and is 3-0 with a 3.19 ERA. He’s had good success at Rogers Centre where he is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 3 starts.

Marc Rzepczynski is the fifth pitcher to make his Major League debut this season for Cito Gaston. He’s made just two starts and is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA. He’s never faced the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have officially brought back up Jed Lowrie and he is in the lineup at shortstop this afternoon.

Here are the lineups for this afternoon’s game:

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

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at how the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox fare each night. Game story and box score links as well as links to team rosters, team stats and league standings are after the jump.

If you would like to listen to any of the Red Sox minor league affiliates’ games, MILB.com offers them for free.

Pawtucket Red Sox

Indians 7, PawSox 3: Pitchers show no control as futile streak continues [Providence Journal]

Triple-A All-Stars Cabrera and Vaquedano are spelling relief for PawSox [Providence Journal]

PawSox Journal: Bates takes Lowrie’s place [Providence Journal]

Indianapolis Indians @ Pawtucket Red Sox 7.17.09 box score [MILB.com]

Pawtucket Roster

Pawtucket Red Sox stats

International League standings

Pawtucket Red Sox website

Portland Sea Dogs:

‘Dogs hold on for a 5-2 win at Trenton [PortlandSeaDogs.com]

Portland Sea Dogs @ Trenton Thunder 7.17.09 box score [MILB.com]

Portland Roster

Portland Sea Dogs stats

Eastern League Standings

Portland Sea Dogs website

Salem Red Sox:

Salem Outlasts Lynchburg In 15-Inning Marathon [OurSports Central]

Fife warms up to league [Roanoke Times]

Salem Red Sox @ Lynchburg Hillcats 7.17.09 box score [MILB.com]

Salem 2009 Roster

Salem Red Sox stats

Carolina League standings

Salem Red Sox official blog

Salem Red Sox website

Greenville Drive:

Captains 8, Drive 1 [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Greenville Drive @ Lake County Captains 7.17.09 box score [MILB.com]

Greenville 2009 Roster

Greenvillle Drive stats

South Atlantic League standings

Greenville Drive website

Lowell Spinners:

Spinners Enjoy Comforts of Home, Win 7-1 [LowellSpinners.com]

Heck of a show [Lowell Sun]

Williamsport Crosscutters @ Lowell Spinners 7.17.09 box score [MILB.com]

Lowell Spinners 2009 Roster

Lowell Spinners stats

NY-Penn League Standings

Lowell Spinners Blog

Spinners website

Gulf Coast League Red Sox

The GCL Orioles beat the GCL Red Sox 4-3.

GCL Orioles @ GCL Red Sox 7.17.09 boxscore [MILB.com]

GCL Red Sox Roster

GCL Red Sox stats

Gulf Coast League Standings

Gulf Coast Red Sox website

UConn Football links

Big East media day lineup [Big East Blog - ESPN.com]

From Afterthought To The NFL [ArizonaCardinals.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

July 17: Taurasi not a starter. Was the WNBA involved? [John Altavilla - Hartford Courant]

Recruiting playbook for the summer [John Altavilla - Hartford Courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Kevin Ollie at Chamber Breakfast [Mike Anthony - Hartford Courant]

Thabeet versus Griffin recap [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Rudy Gay interview [UConn Huskies Basketball]

BIG EAST Conference Launches Sixovertimes.com To Immortalize 2009 Classic For All-time [BigEast.org]

The Boston Red Sox kicked off their 6-game road trip last night at the Rogers Centre in Toronto with a 4-1 win behind some solid pitching from Clay Buchholz and timely hitting from David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis.

Buchholz made his 2009 Red Sox debut last night and while he’s going back to Pawtucket, pitched like he has in Triple-A all season. He had great command of his fastball and used it to get ahead of hitters with first pitch strikes.

While the Red Sox are rumored to be in the mix for the Jays’ Roy Halladay, I see no reason for trading for him. Look at what the Red Sox were rumored to give up for Johan Santana a few years back (Jacoby Ellsbury, Buchholz, Jed Lowrie, Daniel Bard) and see what they’ve done. They have all played integral roles to help the Red Sox win over the past 2 1/2 seasons.

Sure it would be nice to see a rotation of Beckett, Lester and Halladay in the postseason but do really need him.

The big news of yesterday was Theo Epstein designating Julio Lugo for assignment. Epstein took full responsibility for the signing and said he made a mistake. Kudos to Theo for being honest with us although we already knew Lugo sucked and you (Theo) had made a HUGE mistake.

Buchholz stars in cameo role [Boston Globe]

Buchholz opens eyes in a spot start [Providence Journal]

Blue Jays can’t break Clay in triumphant return [Boston Herald]

Seeing error of ways, Sox designate Lugo [Boston Globe]

Red Sox Journal: Lowell returns, Lowrie is next on Saturday [Providence Journal]

Jason Bay, Red Sox put hold on new deal [Boston Herald]

Talks with Bay put on hold [Boston Globe]

Lugo designated for assignment; Epstein says he was never ‘even close’ to what the Red Sox expected [Providence Journal]

Major boost for righty’s confidence [Boston Herald]

Don’t expect shakeup [Boston Globe]

Bay and Red Sox agree to amicably break off contract talks for now [Providence Journal]

Red Sox cut losses, Julio Lugo [Boston Herald]

Five Things We Learned: Buchholz Has Made His Presence Felt [Full Count]

Big Friday [Hit and Run with Dan Roche]

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.

Clay Buchholz made a triumphant return to the big leagues on Friday night as his solid pitching helped the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in front of 32,938 at Rogers Centre.

The Red Sox move to 55-34 and maintain their 3-game lead over the Yankees who also won. The Jays drop to 44-47, 12 games behind the Sox.

Buchholz was outstanding on the bump as he consistently pounded the strike zone for first pitch strikes with his fastball. The very few times where he got into trouble, he kept his composure, which is something he didn’t do last year. He went 5 2/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3 to pick up his first win in 2009 with the big club.

The Red Sox bullpen which had it’s struggles right before the All-Star Break was much better.

Daniel Bard struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced in 1 1/3 innings while Hideki Okajima allowed a hit a in an his inning of work. Jonathan Papelbon needed just 8 pitches to pick up his 24th save of the season.

Ricky Romero got the start for the Jays and had an up-and-down game. After struggles in the first, he was pretty much lights out in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th before being chased from the game in the 5th. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks while striking out 8.

Shawn Camp, Jeremy Accardo and Brandon League combined to give up 1 hit while striking out 4 over the final 4 2/3 innings.

David Ortiz had two hits for the Red Sox, including a 2-run double while Mike Lowell had two hits in his return to the lineup. Kevin Youkilis’ one hit of the night was good for a 2-run homer in the 1st inning. Dustin Pedroia had the other hit.

It was nice to see Buchholz pitch much better than we had seen of him last season. For his troubles, he got a ticket back to Pawtucket where he’ll rejoin the PawSox as the Red Sox will activate Jed Lowrie tomorrow. I do hope it was first class at least.

Day baseball tomorrow in Toronto as Brad Penny and Brian Tallet will square off on the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 PM.

The Boston Red Sox return to action tonight after being off since Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Royals. The local nine is on a 6-game road trip that starts with three games in Toronto against the Blue Jays.

The game tonight will start at 7:07 PM EDT and will be televised in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Blue Jays television market, you can catch the game on SportsNet. 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.

Well it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for as Clay Buchholz makes his 2009 Red Sox debut. He’s been in the minors all season long where he was 7-2 with a 2.16 ERA for the PawSox. He’s made 20 appearances (18 starts) for the Red Sox in his career and is 5-10 with a 5.56 ERA. He’s made 3 appearances (2 starts) against the Blue Jays in his career and is 0-2 with a 4.22 ERA.  Two of those starts and losses against the Jays have come at Rogers Centre where he sports an ERA of 3.72.

Rookie Rickey Romero makes his 14th start of the season for the Blue Jays. He’s 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA for Cito Gaston. He’s made one start this season against the Red Sox where he took the loss giving up 5 runs in 4 innings back on May 31st.

If you hadn’t heard the news by now, Julio Lugo has been designated for assignment by the Red Sox. Aaron Bates was also optioned back to Pawtucket. Taking their places on the roster are Mike Lowell, who was activated from the DL, and Buchholz. It’s expected that Buchholz will be sent back down after the game to make room for Jed Lowrie, who will also be activated from the DL.

Sox, Bay break off talks [Extra Bases]

Epstein on Lugo [Extra Bases]

Bay on contract talks [Extra Bases]

Sick Ellsbury scratched [Extra Bases]

Sox, Bay Again Table Talks, But Optimism Grows [Clubhouse Insider]

Contract talks with Bay breaks down [Projo Sox Blog]

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game:

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

The nightmare is over Boston Red Sox fans. The nightmare is finalllllllllllllly over.

In what all of Red Sox Nation has been campaigning for all season long, the Red Sox have finally rid themselves of Julio Lugo as they designated him for assignment this afternoon.

By designating him for assignment, they now have 10 days to trade or release him. But either way, they’ll most likely be responsible for most  (if traded) or all of his salary (if released). Lugo is still owed around $13.5 million for the next season and a half.

Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe had this to offer up on her Twitter page:

Trade of Lugo possible. Multiple teams have talked to Theo about him. #RedSox prepared to eat a “significant” chunk of salary, said source.

and this as well:

With Lugo designated, Sox are comfortable with sticking with Lowrie and Green for the rest of the year. #redsox

Courtesy of Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald, here are some quotes from Lugo:

“When you see a good looking girl, you get married and sometimes things don’t work out,” Lugo said. “I gave it my best and unfortunately things didn’t work out. This is the best for both parties. I wanted it to work out but it didn’t.”

“I’m not satisfied with the way it worked out,” said Lugo, explaining that the Red Sox “treated me good” during his time with the club. “I wanted to play. I wanted to play good. I wanted to play right here with the Red Sox.

“I’m not happy that that didn’t happen,” Lugo said. “But when things don’t work out, it’s best to move on.”

With Lugo gone now, I hearby declare that this day be an official holiday in Red Sox Nation forever known as #sendlugohome Day.

And to steal a few lines from The Pointer Sisters:

I ‘m so excited and I just can’t hide it
I’m about to lose control and I think I like it

Now excuse me while I kiss the sky!

Editor’s note: Special thanks to Ken from Fang’s Bites for leaving me a message on my cell phone while I was out getting a massage.

All eyes at Rogers Centre in Toronto tonight will be on Clay Buchholz as he makes his 2009 Boston Red Sox debut. Buchholz has been called up to help settle the rotation after the 5-day layoff for the All-Star Break.

It’s an interesting move by the Red Sox as Buchholz is one of the names being thrown around in trade rumors for the Blue Jays’ Roy Halladay. While the Jays prefer to move Halladay out of the AL East, anything is possible and the right mix of prospects could change that. Buchholz already has the experience of pitching in the big leagues and has a no-hitter on his resume. How he does tonight could determine whether or not the Red Sox would include him in a deal.

The other pressing issue for the Red Sox right now is what to do with Julio Lugo. The rampant speculation suggest that Lugo will be outright released with the team eating the $13.5 million left on Lugo’s contract. And to more fuel to the speculation, Lugo wasn’t in Toronto with the team last night.

Terry Francona said it was a matter of miscommunication but I don’t think anyone is buying it as the Red Sox need to make room on the roster this weekend for the returns of Mike Lowell and Jed Lowrie from the disabled list plus adding Buchholz to the roster.

Time will tell during the day today whether or not Lugo is still a member of the Red Sox. But I’ll just go ahead now and say good riddance Julio, you won’t be missed by this fan.

Time to make a move [Boston Globe]

Red Sox, Yankees Return From Their Break [Hartford Courant]

Buchholz returning to prime time [Providence Journal]

Clay Buchholz happy to help Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Lefthander could right the bullpen [Boston Globe]

Red Sox journal: Lugo missing from team workout in Toronto [Providence Journal]

AL East will be a beast [Boston Herald]

On the spot [Boston Globe]

Josh Beckett finds the zone [Boston Herald]

How Red Sox pitchers work the strike zone [Boston Globe]

Coming moves spell doom for Julio Lugo [Boston Herald]

Halladay, Bay and Holliday Fend Off Distractions [Rob Bradford - WEEI.com]

Amidst Rumors, Buchholz Unveiled [Full Count]

Lugo does not make trip to Toronto [RedSox.com]

Will John Henry eat Julio Lugo’s contract? [Extra Bases]

Red Sox Aggressive in Signing International Shortstops [Full Count]

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

UConn Football links

Randy Edsall Q&A: Recruiting has ‘gotten out of hand’ [Sporting News]

“It’s not just about football: I felt my mother’s presence” [Courrier Laval]

My favorite Big East stadiums [Big East Blog - ESPN.com]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Blake Griffin & Hasheem Thabeet Clash in The 2009 NBA Summer League [Bleacher Report]

Calhoun breaks down UConn’s roster [UConn Huskies Basketball]

UConn-Tennessee … on Men’s Side? [David Borges - New Haven Register]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

NCAA coaches continue their education [John Altavilla - Hartford Courant]

Tina Charles has her say about Epiphanny Prince’s decision [John Altavilla - Hartford Courant]

NCAA coaches continue their education [John Altavilla - Hartford Courant]

Greene Determined To Make Most Of Fifth Year With UConn [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Celebrating 50 Years of UConn Men’s Hockey [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball: Maccabi Bound: A Look Behind The Scenes [UConnHuskies.com]

White nears debut for Toronto FC [MLSnet.com]

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at how the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox fare each night. Game story and box score links as well as links to team rosters, team stats and league standings are after the jump.

Sox go deep – in arms [Boston Globe]

If you would like to listen to any of the Red Sox minor league affiliates’ games, MILB.com offers them for free.

Pawtucket Red Sox

Indians 9, PawSox 5: Start of second half is more of the same for Pawtucket [Providence Journal]

PawSox hope their offense comes alive in second half [Providence Journal]

PawSox journal: Lowrie satisfied with progress [Providence Journal]

Indianapolis Indians @ Pawtucket Red Sox 7.16.09 box score [MILB.com]

Pawtucket Roster

Pawtucket Red Sox stats

International League standings

Pawtucket Red Sox website

Portland Sea Dogs:

Portland squanders a 6-0 lead; lose 9-6 in Trenton [PortlandSeaDogs.com]

Portland Sea Dogs @ Trenton Thunder 7.16.09 box score [MILB.com]

Portland Roster

Portland Sea Dogs stats

Eastern League Standings

Portland Sea Dogs website

Salem Red Sox:

Navarro’s slam gives Sox victory [Roanoke Times]

Navarro Belts Walk-Off Grand Slam as Sox Take Down Dash in 10 [OurSports Central]

Winston-Salem Dash @ Salem Red Sox 7.16.09 box score [MILB.com]

Salem 2009 Roster

Salem Red Sox stats

Carolina League standings

Salem Red Sox official blog

Salem Red Sox website

Greenville Drive:

Lavarnway Powers Drive to 8-5 Victory Over Suns [OurSports Central]

Greenville Drive @ Hagerstown Suns 7.16.09 box score [MILB.com]

Greenville 2009 Roster

Greenvillle Drive stats

South Atlantic League standings

Greenville Drive website

Lowell Spinners:

Wilkerson goes deep (sort of) [Lowell Sun]

Little League Home Run Leads to Spinners Win 6-4 [LowellSpinners.com]

Aberdeen IronBirds @ Lowell Spinners 7.16.09 box score [MILB.com]

Lowell Spinners 2009 Roster

Lowell Spinners stats

NY-Penn League Standings

Lowell Spinners Blog

Spinners website

Gulf Coast League Red Sox

The GCL Twins won a pitcher’s duel over the GCL Red Sox 1-0.

GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins 7.16.09 box score [MILB.com]

GCL Red Sox Roster

GCL Red Sox stats

Gulf Coast League Standings

Gulf Coast Red Sox website

Taurasi was pulled over on July 2nd and was cited for DUI. Her blood-alcohol level came back on Tuesday (July 14) and it showed she a blood-alcohol level of .17.

The legal limit in Arizona is .08.

She faces three drunk driving related charges including “extreme DUI” and also was cited for speeding. She has plead not guilty to the DUI charges and plead not responsible to the speeding citation.

Taurasi will miss this Saturday’s matchup with the Detroit Shock and also game on July 18th against the Minnesota Lynx.

Here’s a statement from Taurasi about the suspension:

“I am deeply sorry and embarrassed for causing this distraction for my teammates, the Phoenix Mercury, the WNBA, family and fans. While I cannot say more with regards to the specifics of the case, I do want to make sure that everyone knows how much I appreciate their support and that I’ve learned a valuable lesson. I am committed to making sure a lot of good comes from this experience.”

A bright person, a very foolish thing [ESPN.com]

Friday, July 17^th @ 7:07 PM

Clay Buchholz (R) (First start in 2009) vs Ricky Romero (L) (7-3, 3.00)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Saturday, July 18^th @ 1:07 PM

Brad Penny (R) (6-3, 4.71) vs Marc Rzepczynski (L) (0-1, 3.00)

TV:NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Sunday, July 19^th @ 1:07 PM

Jon Lester (L) (8-6, 3.87) vs Roy Halladay (R) (10-3, 2.85)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

The Red Sox, facing a roster bind as they prepare for the returns of shortstop Jed Lowrie and third baseman Mike Lowell, are “desperately” trying to trade shortstop Julio Lugo, according to a major-league source.

This is what I said had to say about it in the morning post:

We should also see the return of Mike Lowell and Jed Lowrie to the Red Sox lineup this weekend. Lowell could return on Saturday as it’s likely that Aaron Bates will be sent back down on Friday to make room for Buchholz. When Buchholz is sent down, Lowell will most likely be activated.

The Red Sox still have to figure out what to do when Lowrie is activated. The likely scenario that could play out would be the release of Julio Lugo. They probably won’t be able to trade him even if they paid his contract so releasing him probably becomes option No. 1. And I can tell you that Lugo won’t be missed by most in Red Sox Nation.

Source: Red Sox ‘desperately’ trying to deal Lugo [FOXSports.com]

At the 2009 ESPY Awards held in Los Angeles last night, UConn Huskies junior All-American Maya Moore was named the Best Female College Athlete. Its just the latest piece of hardware to go into her trophy case.

Shockingly, the 39-0 UConn women’s basketball team was beat out by the Los Angeles Lakers for best sports team.

The ESPY’s will be shown on ESPN  this Sunday night at 9 PM. So if you’re not a True Blood fan, I’m sure you’ll be watching this.

Lakers, LeBron among ESPY winners [ESPN.com]

While it wasn’t a quiet day around Fenway Park yesterday, it was a day of light news for the Boston Red Sox. They are still enjoy the days off after the All-Star break.

For the fans of the game, this is the worst time of year. It’s when we are forced to find something else on television to watch. For the players, it’s a couple of days (if not playing in the game) to get some rest and nurse any injuries or nicks and bruises back to health.

The Red Sox will finally spring back into action tomorrow night in Toronto when Clay Buchholz makes his 2009 Red Sox debut. Clay has been hanging out in Triple-A all season since there hasn’t been room in the Red Sox rotation for him. He’s had a year down there with the PawSox as he is 7-2 with a 2.16 ERA. He’s up for the start and then heading back to Pawtucket.

With the All-Star break upon us and almost over, it now starts a new period in baseball known as the trade deadline. With that coming up on July 31st, we will start to hear rumors (Buchholz and others to the Jays for Halladay, etc….). While we don’t want to see some of the younger guys go anywhere, it is quite conceivable they might be moved.

We should also see the return of Mike Lowell and Jed Lowrie to the Red Sox lineup this weekend. Lowell could return on Saturday as it’s likely that Aaron Bates will be sent back down on Friday to make room for Buchholz. When Buchholz is sent down, Lowell will most likely be activated.

The Red Sox still have to figure out what to do when Lowrie is activated. The likely scenario that could play out would be the release of Julio Lugo. They probably won’t be able to trade him even if they paid his contract so releasing him probably becomes option No. 1. And I can tell you that Lugo won’t be missed by most in Red Sox Nation.

Five Questions: What Moves Should the Sox Make? [38 Pitches]

Names to throw into discussion [Boston Globe]

Red Sox All-Star Break Analysis [Hartford Courant]

A guy who hates the knuckleball tips his cap to Tim Wakefield [Providence Journal]

Jacoby Ellsbury puts pedal to metal against foes [Boston Herald]

Sox fans at a loss during All-Star break [Boston Globe]

Red Sox journal: Ichiro scoffs at notion that Matsuzaka’s struggles stem from WBC [Providence Journal]

Star magic returning [Boston Herald]

Excitement building, 10 stories high [Boston Globe]

With Lowell and Lowrie ready to turn, is this the end of the line for Lugo? [Providence Journal]

Josh Beckett tries to mold Clay [Boston Herald]

Sox go deep – in arms [Boston Globe]

Red Sox see bright future for Junichi Tazawa [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Mid-Season Report Card [Boston Herald]

Distractions aside, Lowrie just wants to play [Full Count]

Looking forward to cold one [Boston Globe]

How Albert Pujols Almost Almost Joined The Red Sox [Alex Speier - WEEI.com]

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

Editor’s note: My apologies for this being late. Apparently I didn’t hit publish upon leaving the house this morning.

UConn Football links

Home run hitters in the Big East [Big East Blog - ESPN.com]

Big East fall practice start dates [Big East Blog - ESPN.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

got a feeling it’s gonna be a good good night. [Alyssa Auriemma]

Fuzzy math [Jim Fuller - New Haven Register]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Jerome Dyson Scores 51 at Pro-Am [Mike Anthony - Hartford Courant]

Ben Gordon’s journey to UConn [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Charlie Villanueva Twittering for a Good Cause [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Dyson Pours in 50 [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Other UConn related links

The Vatican Jig [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at how the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox fare each night. Game story and box score links as well as links to team rosters, team stats and league standings are after the jump.

If you would like to listen to any of the Red Sox minor league affiliates’ games, MILB.com offers them for free.

Pawtucket Red Sox

The PawSox were off last night for the All-Star break. They return to action tonight when they’ll host the Indianapolis Indians.

Pawtucket Roster

Pawtucket Red Sox stats

International League standings

Pawtucket Red Sox website

Portland Sea Dogs:

The SeaDogs were off for the All-Star break. They return to action tonight in Trenton against the Thunder.

Portland Roster

Portland Sea Dogs stats

Eastern League Standings

Portland Sea Dogs website

Salem Red Sox:

Strong finish gets Dash past Salem [Roanoke Times]

Winston Vaults Past Salem 7-4 [OurSports Central]

Winston-Salem Dash @ Salem Drive 7.15.09 [MILB.com]

Salem 2009 Roster

Salem Red Sox stats

Carolina League standings

Salem Red Sox official blog

Salem Red Sox website

Greenville Drive:

Drive Take Advantage of Early Walks for 4-1 Win [OurSports Central]

Greenville Drive @ Hagerstown Sun 7.15.09 box score [MILB.com]

Greenville 2009 Roster

Greenvillle Drive stats

South Atlantic League standings

Greenville Drive website

Lowell Spinners:

Westmoreland Leads Spinners To 2-0 Win [LowellSpinners.com]

Pitchers impress record crowd [Lowell Sun]

Aberdeen IronBirds @ Lowell Spinners 7.15.09 box score [MILB.com]

Lowell Spinners 2009 Roster

Lowell Spinners stats

NY-Penn League Standings

Lowell Spinners Blog

Spinners website

Gulf Coast League Red Sox

The GCL Rays beat the GCL Red Sox 8-3.

GCL Red Sox @ GCL Rays 7.15.09 box score [MILB.com]

GCL Red Sox Roster

GCL Red Sox stats

Gulf Coast League Standings

Gulf Coast Red Sox website

While I am not a big hockey fan anymore (we can blame Peter Karmanos for moving the Hartford Whalers to North Carolina for that), I do enjoy the Winter Classic games that the NHL has put on in the past few years.

It started in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, NY with the Pittsburgh Penguins beating the Buffalo Sabres 2-1. Last year, it was held at Wrigley Field in Chicago where the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4.

In keeping with the baseball park theme, the NHL has decided to host the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on New Year’s Day 2010 at 1 PM. It wasn’t too much of a secret though as the news leaked out in May that the Fens would be hosting the game.

Of course the Boston Bruins will be the hosts and they will be taking on the Philadelphia Flyers.

“A unique event deserves a unique venue, and we are delighted the Bruins and Flyers will renew their rivalry, with the ‘Green Monster’ providing the backdrop,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We welcome our fans, our teams, our sponsors and the great city of Boston to this annual celebration of our sport.”

Boston Red Sox owner John Henry had this to add:

“On behalf [of] the entire Boston Red Sox organization, I want to express our sincere thanks to the National Hockey League and the Boston Bruins for selecting Fenway Park as the site for the 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic. From the day we arrived at Fenway Park, our ownership group has been committed to preserving and protecting this historic venue, and we have taken extraordinary steps to ensure it can serve fans for generations to come.”

Ticket pricing and when the tickets would go on sale for the event were not announced today. They will be announced at a future date.

Photo Gallery from today’s announcement [NHL.com]