Month: July 2007

It’s done.

Mark Murphy reports that the Kevin Garnett deal has been finalized. Boston.com has the press release from the Celtics.

FSN will be airing the Celtics press conference at 6:00 and Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are all expected to be in attendance.

This trade process had plenty of bumps in the media process, as Murphy’s original report omitted Gerald Green as part of the deal, which was later corrected. Yesterday of course, Shira Springer had a report for an hour on Boston.com that Al Jefferson was not a part of the deal.

As of early this afternoon, several national outlets are reporting that the Red Sox are the favorites to acquire Rangers closer Eric Gagne. (done deal) Boston was also connected with White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye, but those talks have seemingly broken down. It was being reported that the Dye and the White Sox were now working on an extension…sounds just like the Mark Buehrle deal a few weeks back.

And we thought yesterday was insane.

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On Patriots Daily, we know of at least two Patriots who must be pleased with the Garnett trade.

Ken Rosenthal says that the Red Sox might allow Gagne to share the closing duties with Jonathan Papelbon.

Gordon Edes had a Boston.com chat this noontime.

Jon Heyman looks at the Red Sox staying busy on deadline day.

Chris Mannix says that Kevin Garnett is a huge plus for the Celtics, but that they still have plenty of holes on their team.

Michael Ventre says that the Celtics are relevant again with Garnett.

Adrian Wojnarowski says that Garnett to the Celtics is just what the NBA needed.

Jim Armstrong says that Randy Moss and the Patriots will be a disappointment this season.

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Tonight
7:00pm, NESN – Orioles @ Red Sox
10:00pm, ESPN2 – Giants @ Dodgers

It’s a longshot, but there could be three huge baseball milestones tonight. Tom Glavine is going for his 300th win. Barry Bonds could tie or break the all time home run record, and Alex Rodriguez could hit his 500th career home run.

Discuss today’s events on the BSMW Social Network

What a day yesterday was. Tailor-made for both sports radio and the internet, with plenty of talk, speculation and anger, both about the Red Sox, but more so about the Celtics and their pursuit of relevance.

Although the trade still isn’t complete, it seems a foregone conclusion that Kevin Garnett will be wearing Celtic green next season. Shira Springer says that the deal is complete in principle, the only thing remaining to be worked out is Garnett’s contract. Mark Murphy says that talks had slowed a little last night as there are “many details” yet to be resolved before this trade can be made official. Desmond Conner says that the Celtics appear to have landed the one big piece they needed to become a true contender.

Jackie MacMullan is back on board the Celtics bandwagon, gushing over what Garnett can bring the Celtics and how it could change everything for this franchise. Gerry Callahan weighs in, and he notes that just as things had hit rock bottom a couple of months ago, all of a sudden, the Celtics are now back to being contenders with this deal. Bill Simmons weighs in on the trade, and after the jokes about Kevin McHale helping out his old team, makes some good points about the trade and what the Celtics are now capable of. Scott Souza says that this trade is going to define Danny Ainge’s tenure here on Boston. Tim Weisberg says that the Celtics have sacrificed their future, but it all just might be worth it, if Garnett is their ticket back to a championship level.

Steve Bulpett says that ultimately, winning will be the only true way to judge this deal. Kevin Henkin says that somewhere, Red Auerbach is smiling his approval of this deal. Kevin McNamara says that at long last, the Celtics are ready to roll again. Carol Robidoux asks fans if this move is enough to make them care about the Celtics again. Chad Finn also weighs in with his thoughts on the deal.

Red Sox
Gordon Edes reports that a potential deal for White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye is still a possibility before this afternoon’s trading deadline. Jeff Horrigan says that the Red Sox are pushing to acquire both Dye and Texas reliever Eric Gagne. Sean McAdam says that as of last night, the Red Sox were stonewalled in their efforts to make a deal to improve their club. Garry Brown says that the Red Sox appear to be tinkering more than working on a blockbuster. Alex Speier says that a big deal seems unlikely for the Red Sox today.

Rob Bradford looks at the impact that trading away prospects can have, especially when you factor in all the investment that the club has put into the minor leaguers. Jeff Goldberg has the Red Sox reluctant to part with any of their top prospects today to acquire veteran help for the stretch run. Paul Jarvey says that it seems unlikely that the Red Sox will make a deal today. Joe Haggerty has Manny Ramirez back in the swing of things at the plate. Speier also looks at the ultimate trade deadline deal, 10 Years After the fact. Hint: Heathcliff Slocumb was involved.

Amalie Benjamin’s notebook has Manny Ramirez being named the American League Player of the Week. Horrigan’s notebook has more on Manny’s honor, as well as plans for a Bobby Doerr day at Fenway this Thursday – 60 years after the original Bobby Doerr day.

Patriots
Mike Reiss and David Heuschkel report on cornerback Chad Scott being lost for the season after being placed on Injured Reserve with a knee injury. Albert Breer has the Patriots players working on their on-field communication. Mark Farinella says that Tedy Bruschi still has plenty left in the tank. Eric McHugh has Tom Brady looking and feeling great as he approaches 30.

John Tomase looks at second year kicker Stephen Gostkowski going about his business in camp this year without the spotlight – quite a change from last year when he was attempting to replace Adam Vinatieri. Carolyn Thornton has Gostkowski refusing to take things easy in camp just because he doesn’t have any competition. Chris Price has veterans giving rookies advice on how to survive training camp.

Steve Buckley looks at Wes Welker fighting the same challenge as Dustin Pedroia…having to overcome people saying he’s too small. Jennifer Toland has Randall Gay looking to stay healthy and step up his role, especially with the loss of Scott. Shalise Manza Young has another Patriots defensive back, Eugene Wilson, also looking to stay healthy this season and get back to his Super Bowl form. Dan Pires has Jabar Gaffney looking to prove himself and stick with the Patriots for a second season. Buckley also has James Sanders looking forward to his hard work paying off with a bigger role this season.

Charles Robinson on Yahoo! Sports has a must-read story on the connection between Bill Belichick and Bill Walsh, the former 49er head coach who passed away yesterday. Nick Cafardo writes about Walsh’s love of baseball and other sports besides football. Christopher Price says that Walsh paved the way for Belichick in the NFL. Ian O’Connor lists the ways that Belichick and Eric Mangini don’t measure up to Walsh, saying that he was much more than just a “scheme-spewing drone.”

Tomase’s notebook has more on Scott being placed on IR. The Globe notebook has more on Gostkowski. Toland’s notebook has Belichick speaking on Walsh. Pires’s notebook has more on Scott being finished for the season. Farinella’s notebook looks at the challenges of holding training camp sessions in the practice bubble.

Update: The Associated Press says that the deal is done.

Sweet Jesus.

What a crazy day. Shira Springer reported around 1:45 this afternoon that the latest edition of the Kevin Garnett to Boston trade did not include Al Jefferson or Rajon Rondo going to Minnesota as part of the deal.

That lasted an hour. In fact, Springer updated an hour later to say Jefferson was back in the deal. Was he ever really out of the deal? I don’t think so.

Meanwhile, at noon, Steve Bulpett was saying that the deal was “essentially completed.”

Just get this thing done already. Nothing makes more nervous than media reports of blockbluster deals that “could be completed in the next 48 hours.” Doesn’t it seem like those deals never get done? With all the variations of this trade being floated around out there, it would seem that things are not as far along as some are reporting. John Dennis and Jon Meterparel reported the deal “done” this morning – it appears that was a little premature.

Keep up with the latest rumors and posts at CelticsLinks.com.

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Congratulations to Michael Holley, who announced that he got married during his recent vacation from his mid-day show on WEEI.

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Jessica Heslam had a breakdown on Friday of the latest radio ratings for Boston. Seems the absence of Gerry Callahan didn’t hurt the WEEI morning show any, as they finished just behind WXKS-FM in the 25-54 demographic. They also handily won the afternoon drive slot in that same demo, and also finished first overall in that demo for all week listening. For all listeners over 12, WEEI finished tied for 5th in the Boston market with sister station WRKO.

This was one of the better ratings breakdowns that I’ve seen posted.

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Jermaine Dye to the Red Sox? Maybe, but the latest post by Gordon Edes has the price too high still for the Red Sox. (Check RedSoxLinks.com for the latest.)

Red Sox Monster has a Baltimore columnist predicting that the Red Sox are going choke away the A.L. East and finish out of the playoffs.

Pat Kirwan has a report from Patriots training camp.

Don Banks was also in Foxboro for the start of training camp.

John Gonzalez has a feature on Rich Garces for Boston Magazine.

Peter King has another edition of Monday Morning Quarterback.

Tony Massarotti looks at the top five names on the MLB trading block.

Sean McAdam says not to expect too many blockbuster trades at this trading deadline.

Adam Schein says that Eric Mangini might not be considered as much of a Man-genius this season.

Chad Finn has his Nine Innings national column for FoxSports.

Former 49er head coach Bill Walsh has passed away.

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Tonight

7:00pm, ESPN – Phillies @ Cubs

After beating the Indians 1-0 last week, Daisuke Matsuzaka took a shutout into the seventh inning yesterday afternoon in Tampa before giving up a solo home run. However, once again the Red Sox were unable to provide any run support and ended up falling 5-2 to the Devil Rays, missing out on a sweep of the three game series.

Jeff Horrigan notes that this was a good road trip for the Red Sox, as they come back home still holding an eight game lead over the Yankees. Amalie Benjamin has the Rays spoiling the finale of a very successful road trip for the Red Sox. Joe McDonald has the Red Sox bullpen melting down for the second straight day in Tampa. Jeff Goldberg has Manny Delcarmen stumbling in relief of Matsuzaka. Paul Jarvey has the Rays using the long ball to finally silence the Red Sox fans who invaded their dome this weekend.

Rob Bradford notes that there are no Manny Ramirez trade rumors at this deadline period, and that seems to sit fine with just about everyone around the Red Sox, including Manny. The other Manny, Delcarmen, got lit up yesterday, prompting talk from Nick Cafardo that the Sox might need bullpen help just as much as another bat. Bradford notes that Japanese pitchers usually need some time to adjust to the baseball used here in America, because it is different from the Japanese ball, in size and consistency. Horrigan has Matsuzaka working with Doug Mirabelli for the first time yesterday, and things ended up going pretty smoothly for the pair.

Horrigan’s notebook has Mike Timlin needing a rest for his aching shoulder, but hoping to avoid the DL. Benjamin’s notebook has more on Dice-K and Mirabelli working together for the first time. McDonald’s notebook leads off with more on the combination. Jarvey’s notebook says that the pair appeared solid in their debut together.

Bob Hohler has Barry Bonds hitting the road in pursuit of the home run record after failing to reach the accomplishment on the recent homestand.

Patriots
Mike Reiss has Tom Brady pacing himself in camp, monitoring his throws as he and team aim to protect his arm from extended wear and tear. John Tomase has Brady liking what he sees from his offense early on. (or did Albert Breer write this one?) Mark Farinella has Brady pleased with the potential that this team has, but realizing that coming together as a unit takes time. Michael Parente has the Patriots providing Brady with plenty of new weapons this season. Jennifer Toland has Brady spreading passes and praise for his new options. David Heuschkel also looks at Brady getting to know his new receivers. David Brown also has Brady working on building his new offense.

Steve Buckley says Brady will be making his own decision on where to be when his baby finally arrives.

Remember all the talk after the AFC Championship Game loss that Tedy Bruschi was seriously thinking of retirement? In Daniel Malloy‘s article today, Bruschi says he did not consider retirement. Tomase has more on Bruschi who is ready to play on despite his advancing years. Albert Breer has another linebacker, Mike Vrabel, glad for the versatile reinforcements at his position, and ready to take on another season.

Robert Lee has first round pick Brandon Meriweather learning on the job, with such veterans as Rodney Harrison there to guide him along. Breer has more on Brandon Meriweather getting on the field and learning fast after getting his contract signed. Christopher Price also has a look at Meriweather settling in.

We’ve also got a Monday update at PatriotsDaily.com

The Globe notebook has Jabar Gaffney standing out from the crowd at wide receiver during the first few days of camp. Tomase’s notebook has more on Gaffney, who appears to be picking up right where he left off in the postseason, where he was the team’s most productive receiver. One note – the article says Gaffney came to the Patriots after the Texans didn’t offer him a contract…he actually was signed by the Eagles last year and cut in training camp. Shalise Manza Young’s notebook has more on Bruschi, who likes the mix of skills that the Patriots have at the linebacker position. Toland’s notebook also looks at Bruschi, as he prepares to enter his 12th season. Dan Pires’s notebook has still more on Bruschi, who is pumped for the new season.

Celtics
The Kevin Garnett trade rumors are back. Jeff Goodman on FOXSports.com and Marc Stein on ESPN.com say that a deal could be close for the Timberwolves star. Maybe the Celtics will make a bigger trade than the Red Sox at the July 31st deadline? Keep up with the news at CelticsLinks.com

The first day of NFL training camp is a bittersweet day. No matter how hot and muggy it is right now, you know that when all is said and done, the season will end with snow on the ground and ice in your blood. It’s a reminder of how fast things go in life. There’s a lot to be excited about this Patriots season, and it all begins today.

PatriotsDaily.com kicks off coverage of the season with a extended Training Camp edition of the Roundtable.

The “Questions” column is a staple whenever a team is about to start the season. Today is no exception. We’ve got questions columns, plenty of them. John Tomase has six. Shalise Manza Young has seven. Ian M. Clark only has four. Eric McHugh submits ten. Christopher Price and Jeff Howe have five things to look for in camp. David Heuschkel also gives us a number of storylines and questions from camp.

Jackie MacMullan says that once again, Rodney Harrison enters camp with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. Albert Breer says that Asante Samuel deserves a little more credit than some are willing to give him. Karen Guregian and Breer has Samuel set to stay home until something gets worked out in his contract situation. Young says that Samuel could end up joining his teammates sooner rather than later.

Christopher L. Gasper has Troy Brown approaching this training camp just as he has the last 14 for the Patriots, just trying to compete for a job. (Bob Ryan gave Gasper some serious love on a WROR appearance yesterday morning, saying that this kid “has it.”) Mike Reiss notes that the Patriots continuity on both the offensive and defensive lines has given them a solid foundation. Mark Farinella previews the defense, and says that Asante Samuel’s return is the biggest question mark for this unit. Thomas also notes that Brandon Meriweather doesn’t have a deal, either.

Dan Shaughnessy is making Super Bowl reservations. David Brown says that we can expect a circus in training camp, though it might not be as entertaining as we’d like it to be. Lenny Megliola says that the Tom Brady/Peyton Manning rivalry is at an all time high right now.

Gasper’s notebook has more on Samuel likely not showing up today. Brown’s notebook has more on Samuel and Meriweather.

Red Sox
The Red Sox celebrated the start of Patriots training camp by scoring two touchdowns and holding the Cleveland Indians to three field goals in a 14-9 victory at Jacob’s Field.

Jeff Horrigan looks at the Red Sox bats (including Wily Mo Pena) coming to life in a big way last night. Nick Cafardo has more on a big night at the plate for the Red Sox. Jeff Goldberg has the Red Sox changing things up after only scoring one run over the last two games prior to last night. Bill Ballou has the Red Sox adding on to their lead over the Yankees in the process. Joe McDonald has the Sox hitting the Indians with both barrels last night.

Rob Bradford has Manny Ramirez hitting what he called the longest home run of his career last night, showing that he can still surprise after 15 years in the league. Amalie Benjamin has a look at a big night for Pena, who had a single, two doubles and a home run. Joe Haggerty has a look at Gabbard, who prior to last night, had been rolling along for the Red Sox. Bradford has David Ortiz looking for the Red Sox to make a move at the trade deadline that will bring them some help for the stretch run.

Horrigan has the Red Sox penciling in August 5th as the date for Curt Schilling‘s return to the rotation. Donald Emmons reports on Schilling’s outing for Pawtucket last night. John Wagner has more on the five inning stint for Schilling.

Rich Thompson has the PawSox giving Clay Buchholz a chance to pitch deeper into the game. Benjamin looks at another minor league pitcher that is grabbing attention for the Red Sox, AA right hander Justin Masterson.

Horrigan’s notebook has Kason Gabbard unable to pick up the victory last night despite all the run support. Cafardo’s notebook has the Red Sox unwilling to overpay for any trade in the next few days. Goldberg’s notebook has more on Schilling’s rehab start last night. Ballou’s notebook has Terry Francona saying that he’ll be happy if his club stays just as it is at the trade deadline. The Projo notebook says that deals are possible, but not imminent.

David Scott has word of Howard Bryant on the move once more, this time over to ESPN. Nancy Marrapese-Burrell has ESPN going all out with their NASCAR coverage.

I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new website that promises to bring fans of the New England Patriots daily analysis of their favorite team. In addition, the site will present the very latest in web technology to offer readers a rich multimedia experience. Readers will be strongly encouraged to take part in the discussions on the site, allowing them to weigh in on the latest news and events.

The website is Patriots Daily and can be found at http://www.patriotsdaily.com. The site is now up and running, though regular posting of new content does not start until tomorrow, Friday, July 27th – to coincide with the start of Patriots Training Camp.

The site will incorporate downloadable podcasts, videos and RSS feed subscription services. Other features include interactive book rankings and an automatically updated set of Patriots headline links from across the Internet. One of the goals of the site is to both embrace technology and utilize the latest tools and techniques in social media and blogging.

To that end, the site has partnered with two new companies providing multimedia services to web publishers. The first, Podcastnewsservice.com allows web publishers to instantly turn their content into podcasts. While the implementation has not been done on Patriotsdaily.com just yet, it is already in the works behind the scenes.

The second company is SplashCast Media which allows publishers to set up “channels” and “shows” to play in an embedded player on their website. A Patriots Daily channel has been set up and filled with podcasts, videos and slide shows from around the internet, all focused on the Patriots. These items can be played without leaving the page.

In addition to regularly scheduled daily entries, any breaking news will be covered and commented on quickly, and following the season, the site will feature extensive draft coverage.

Patriotsdaily.com will officially be launched on Friday, July 27th, 2007, with a Patriots Roundtable season preview. Come check the site out today and add a bookmark!

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Site URL: http://www.patriotsdaily.com

Site RSS Feed: http://feed.patriotsdaily.com/PatriotsDaily

Site Comments Feed: http://feed.patriotsdaily.com/PatriotsDailyComments

Advertising Information: http://www.patriotsdaily.com/advertising/

(If you really want to take a look at the entire press release, it is here.)

One night after defeating the Indians 1-0, the Red Sox fell in Cleveland last night by that same 1-0 score. Josh Beckett pitched very well last night, but a third inning solo home run by Franklin Gutierrez made him a loser on a night that the Red Sox made several key mistakes on the basepaths. The Red Sox lead in the A.L. East is now down to 6 1/2 games.

Jeff Horrigan notes that Beckett might’ve pitched his best game in a Red Sox uniform last night, but was still stuck with the loss. Amalie Benjamin says that the pitching duel didn’t go the Sox way on this night. Joe McDonald says that it was simply a night of missed opportunities for the Red Sox. Jeff Goldberg notes that this was clearly not the same Fausto Carmona that the Red Sox knocked around as a closer last summer. Bill Ballou says it is hard to decide whether the Red Sox glass is half full or half empty these days.

Rob Bradford looks at the Red Sox running themselves out of the few chances that they had last night. Nick Cafardo dialed up Jose Canseco to get reaction to Curt Schilling’s comments on HBO’s “Costas Now” about steroid use. Zach Rocha catches up with former Cape League star David Murphy, who is looking forward to getting another chance with the Red Sox sometime this season.

Bradford also has a good look at Dustin Pedroia and the fire he brings to the Red Sox clubhouse as a 23-year-old rookie. Cafardo also has a column on Wily Mo Peña, who many still feel is going to be power hitting start in baseball, but is now desperately in need of a fresh start. It’s a good look at the 25-year-old, who continues to work hard at all facets of his game, but who will probably be better off somewhere else. That Bruce Allen guy in the Metro notes that Coco isn’t Soso anymore these days.

Horrigan’s notebook has Joel Pineiro accepting an assignment to Pawtucket, where he will be stretched out as a starter. The Globe notebook has the Sox interested in Tampa Bay outfielder Ty Wigginton, and has Doug Mirabelli saying that purely from a stuff angle, Manny Delcarmen is above Jonathan Papelbon. McDonald’s notebook has Kevin Youkilis more concerned with winning rather than money right now. Eligible for arbitration after the season, Youkilis says he’ll worry about financial matters at that time. Goldberg’s notebook has more on Schilling’s comments about Canseco on HBO. Ballou’s notebook observes that the PawSox have a very veteran starting rotation these days with both Schilling and Pineiro currently with the team.

Patriots
The Patriots start training camp tomorrow, and Mike Reiss has Bill Belichick focused on the job of getting his team ready for the season, and not caught up in the hype that surrounds the open practice sessions these days. John Tomase looks over four positions on the Patriots roster that could be up for grabs in this training camp. Mark Farinella has a look at the Patriots offense, and says that it remains to be seen if the team will be able to run the ball at all this year.

Christopher L. Gasper has Reche Caldwell fully aware that he has got plenty to prove (and plenty of competition) entering this training camp. Eric McHugh offers up 10 questions on the AFC. Jim Donaldson likes the Patriots much better as underdogs. Tomase gives us a few players to keep an eye on during camp.

Karen Guregian and Reiss’ notebook each have the agent for Asante Samuel saying that they are working to get the cornerback into camp as close to on-time as they can.

NBA
Peter May has a short note in the Globe reporting that Al Jefferson will be among a group of younger NBA players that will scrimmage next month in Las Vegas against the United States national team.

Lenny Megliola says that Tim Donaghy’s impact on the NBA will be a long-term thing. Ron Chimelis says that this situation is a Stern lesson for the NBA and its commissioner.

Bill Doyle talks to one of the contestants on “Sox Appeal.”

Just a few afternoon links on a very busy Wednesday in a very busy week…

John Tomase made the case this morning that the actions of the Patriots this offseason actually indicate that Bill Belichick is planning on sticking around beyond this season. If you think about it, it all makes sense. If Belichick is planning on bolting after this season, playing hardball with Asante Samuel doesn’t make much sense. If Belichick is only going to be here this season, he’d probably do anything to get Samuel into camp to play, and not care about anything beyond this season. That’s just one small example. Tomase’s article was a nice respite from the constant talk this offseason, (some from the pages of the Herald) that Belichick was gearing up for a “final run” with the Patriots.

So, what does the truth & rumors section of Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation site do? They ignore the main thrust of Tomase’s article, and instead use a small bit from it to put forth the notion that the signs point towards Belichick leaving. They don’t make any reference to the actual premise that Tomase was trying to make.

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The debunked rumor from yesterday still is getting a lot of on-line play, with several outlets picking up on it. A report on Network World shows how something like this get started, and spread quickly.

Dan Kennedy says that the media has acted correctly by not touching this one.

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Former Red Sox (and current Nashua Pride) reliever Rich Garces had a chat on Boston.com.

The Media Circus has more Steve Philips nonsense.

Andy Hart has another edition of the Ask PFW mailbag.

Don Banks has 10 burning questions entering training camp. The fifth one is about Randy Moss and the Patriots.

Peter Schrager also has 10 questions, #4 is about the Patriots cornerbacks.

Dan Wetzel says that July hasn’t been a good time for his vacation.

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From a Turner Sports release:

TBS.com steps up to the plate to offer Major League Baseball fans an inside look at San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds as he chases one of the most illustrious records in sports- the home run record- last broken in 1974 by Hank Aaron who finished his career with 755 home runs. Bonds, currently two home runs away from tying the record and three away from breaking it, will be prominently featured on TBS.com through free, live streaming of his at-bats in every game leading up to the record breaker from a simulcast made available through MLB.com. Additional MLB.com streaming footage is also available on TBS.com, including highlights, game footage, press conferences and more, and will be available throughout Bonds’ homerun record chase. CNN.com will also link to the TBS.com baseball footage from its Web site.

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Tonight

7:00pm, NESN – Red Sox @ Indians
8:00pm, ESPN2 – Cubs @ Cardinals
10:00pm, TBS – Braves @ Giants

The Red Sox managed a single run last night against C.C. Sabathia, but Daisuke Matsuzaka made it stand up in Boston’s 1-0 win in Cleveland at Jacobs field.

Jeff Goldberg has Matsuzaka serving notice last night that he is “equipped to deliver in big games.” Amalie Benjamin has different sort of performance from Matsuzaka than we have seen recently. Jeff Horrigan notes that “in nine of Matsuzaka’s last 11 starts the Sox have scored two runs or less.” Joe McDonald has a look at the pitching duel in Cleveland last night. Bill Ballou tabs this outing as “one of his best, perhaps his very best, effort in a Boston uniform” for Matsuzaka.

Rob Bradford has the Red Sox calm and confident these days, despite knowing that the front office is likely to make some moves in the next week or so. Nick Cafardo has a look at what Theo Epstein has to consider about his team with the trading deadline approaching. Sean McAdam offers a number of observations and opinions as we get set to enter the final third of the season. Trade rumors have an impact on minor leaguers as well, Brendan McGair has the PawSox playing attempting to tune out the upcoming deadline. Jon Couture says that Theo Epstein will likely use the trading deadline to bolster his bench, a unit that has won some games for the Red Sox, but could use a little more punch.

Cafardo talks to Indians bullpen coach Luis Isaac about the monster season Manny Ramírez had in 1999 (.333, 44HR, 165 RBI) Bradford also has Jonathan Papelbon talking about his dislike for radar gun readings being displayed in ballparks. Alex Speier looks at who could stay and who could go at the trading deadline. Bradford has Coco Crisp returning to the form that people in Cleveland are familiar with from 2004 and 2005…but better. Joe Haggerty has Julio Lugo finally enjoying himself at the plate with the Red Sox. Bradford reports on Jon Lester revealing that Lance Armstrong had sent him a note of support while he was undergoing his cancer treatments.

Mark Shanahan in the Globe profiles LMontro, the unofficial barber of the Red Sox.

Horrigan’s notebook has David Ortiz hoping to get back into the lineup tonight after hurting his shoulder last Friday night. Benjamin’s notebook has Crisp getting a spot in the 5-hole last night. McDonald’s notebook has Manny Delcarmen giving credit to PawSox manager Ron Johnson for his turnaround this season. Goldberg’s notebook has several defensive play proving key for the Red Sox last night. Ballou’s notebook says that the five wins in a row has made it easier for David Ortiz to sit out and rest his shoulder.

NBA
Shira Springer has NBA commissioner David Stern working his first round of damage control in a marathon news conference yesterday. Steve Bulpett says that Stern had better be right that Tim Donaghy was alone in betting on the game, otherwise the league’s very existence could be threatened. Peter May has more on Stern hoping that it was just one guy involved in this scandal.

Jeff Jacobs notes that yesterday was an apocalyptic day in sports on many levels.

Patriots
John Tomase notes that contrary to many breathless media reports this year, the evidence actually points to Bill Belichick sticking around for a while longer in New England. Mike Reiss has Richard Seymour, Troy Brown and six others set to start training camp on the PUP list. Tomase also has a few notes on who will be ready (Tedy Bruschi) and who won’t (Seymour).

Mark Farinella looks at the Michael Vick case, and also urges David Stern to “blow up” the NBA.