Final, Red Sox 6-2: 

Clay Buchholz was solid once again, and he finally picks up his seventh win of the season after three straight no-decisions. Buchholz allowed one run on five hits in seven innings of work. He matched his season-low with just four strikeouts, but he grinded his way through the outing, and the Red Sox are now back on a winning path.

Buchholz becomes the first Red Sox pitcher since Josh Beckett in 2007 to begin a season with a 7-0 record. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.73.

Jacoby Ellsbury, who has taken some heat recently, reached base four times and scored a run out of the leadoff spot. Mike Napoli (three walks and a single) also reached base four times.

Boston finishes off its nine-game road trip with a 6-3 record, and the Red Sox will now return to Fenway Park for a six-game homestand, which begins with four games against Terry Francona’s Indians. Ryan Dempster will start Thursday’s series opener, which is scheduled to kick off at 7:10 p.m.

Good night, everyone.

Mid 9th, Red Sox 6-1: The Red Sox added to their run total for the second straight inning, and Andrew Bailey will pitch the bottom of the ninth with a pretty comfortable cushion.

David Ortiz greeted the new pitcher, Donnie Veal, with a sinking line drive to center field. Ortiz made solid contact, but Alejandro De Aza charged in to make a nice snag off his shoe tops.

De Aza’s grab gave the White Sox two outs in the ninth, but Veal couldn’t finish off the escape. Mike Napoli walked for the third time to load the bases, and Daniel Nava ripped a two-run single into left field. Napoli has reached base safely four times in this game, and Nava has turned his night around after a couple of shaky at-bats early on.

Bailey, who was activated off the disabled list on Monday, will pitch for the first time since April 28.

11:08 p.m., Red Sox 4-1: The White Sox will make a pitching change, as the Red Sox have put two runners on in the ninth inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury put together a great at-bat against Nate Jones to lead off the inning, and he ended it by walking on the 10th pitch.

Jonny Gomes then singled into right field, and Dustin Pedroia struck out. White Sox manager Robin Ventura will turn to left-hander Donnie Veal with the left-handed hitting David Ortiz coming up.

End 8th, Red Sox 4-1: Koji Uehara did what he does more often than not. He got the job done, and then returned to the Red Sox’ dugout with plenty of enthusiasm.

Uehara struck out both Tyler Flowers and Alejandro De Aza in the eighth inning. He got Flowers looking on a fastball, and he got De Aza to chase a splitter.

Uehara, who always brings plenty of energy, dished out a number of high fives upon returning to the dugout. It looked like Shane Victorino wasn’t quite ready, though, as Uehara caught him off guard with a high-five bid.

Click here to see Uehara’s funny high-five smack >>

Mid 8th, Red Sox 4-1: The Red Sox’ bullpen will go to work with a little more breathing room, as the offense pushed across two runs in the eighth inning.

Brian Omogrosso, who pitched the seventh inning for Chicago, started the eighth inning, but he quickly found himself in a whole bunch of trouble. Dustin Pedroia flied out to left field to begin the frame, but David Ortiz and Mike Napoli followed up with back-to-back singles. Omogrosso then walked Daniel Nava, which loaded the bases and forced the White Sox to make a pitching change.

Nate Jones took over for Omogrosso, and he fell behind Will Middlebrooks 2-0. With the count at 2-1, Jones tried to go away to Middlebrooks, but the powerful third baseman drove a deep fly ball to the opposite field. It brought home Ortiz, and sent Napoli from second base to third base, which proved to be big.

Stephen Drew walked with two outs to reload the bases, and with Jarrod Saltalamacchia at the plate, a pitch got away from catcher Tyler Flowers. That allowed Napoli to race home with Boston’s fourth run.

Saltalamacchia eventually struck out to end the inning. He fouled a pitch off himself during the at-bat and limped back to the dugout after striking out, so that might be something to keep an eye on.

End 7th, Red Sox 2-1: Clay Buchholz is getting some hugs in the Red Sox’ dugout, so it appears his night is over.

Buchholz ended his evening by retiring the White Sox in order in the seventh inning. Dayan Viciedo struck out swinging, Conor Gillaspie flied out to left field and Jeff Keppinger flied out to right field.

Buchholz threw 113 pitches (71 strikes) over seven innings. He gave up one run on five hits, while striking out four and walking three. White Sox hitters took Buchholz deep into some counts, particularly early on, but the right-hander kept plugging along, and it’s hard to complain about the overall result.

Koji Uehara has been warming up, so he’ll likely take over when the White Sox come to bat in the eighth inning.

Mid 7th, Red Sox 2-1: Jarrod Saltalamacchia carried some momentum over to his at-bat in the seventh inning, as he picked up his first hit of the game. The White Sox’ new pitcher, Brian Omogrosso, still managed to keep the Red Sox off the scoreboard, though.

Omogrosso got two quick outs, although both came in rather interesting fashion. Will Middlebrooks drilled a deep fly ball to the warning track that Alejandro De Aza flagged down on the run, and Stephen Drew was retired on a strange play by shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez turned his body in a number of different directions before catching a popup that sent him tumbling to the outfield grass.

Saltalamacchia’s two-out single was nearly caught by De Aza in center field, but it popped out of his glove. Jacoby Ellsbury extended the inning even further by singling, but Jonny Gomes grounded out to end the threat.

Ellsbury has reached base safely three times in this game. He has two singles and a walk.

End 6th, Red Sox 2-1: Jarrod Saltalamacchia is having a tough night at the dish, but he’s having a great night behind it.

Saltalamacchia has struck out twice, but he’s making an impact on the defensive side of things. Salty has thrown out two would-be base stealers, including Alex Rios in the sixth inning.

Rios started the inning with a single past a diving Dustin Pedroia and into center field. Clay Buchholz bounced back to retire Adam Dunn on a high popout in shallow center field and Paul Konerko on a deep flyout to left. Rios took off with Dayan Viciedo batting, and Saltalmacchia delivered a throw right on the money.

Saltalamacchia has had a hard time throwing out runners this season, but he’s turning in a great effort in this one. Entering the game, Saltalamacchia had only thrown out one runner — 1-for-19, 5.3 percent — all year.

Making Salty’s throw in the sixth inning even more important is that it limited Buchholz’s workload. Buchholz is up to 104 pitches in this game, and no one is warming up in the Boston bullpen yet.

Mid 6th, Red Sox 2-1: Hector Santiago has given the White Sox exactly what they needed.

Chicago trails in this game, but Santiago, who started on three days’ rest in place of Chris Sale (shoulder tendinitis), has given the White Sox six solid innings and a chance to win.

Santiago retired the Red Sox in order in the sixth inning. David Ortiz flied out to center field, Mike Napoli struck out swinging and Daniel Nava popped out in foul territory along the first-base line.

End 5th, Red Sox 2-1: Clay Buchholz hasn’t generated a whole lot of momentum, and he has really had to work to record outs. But to his credit, he has gotten the job done thus far.

Jeff Keppinger led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a slow grounder to third. Will Middlebrooks charged in and decided to play it with this bare hand. He made the play, but his throw to first base was off the mark, allowing Keppinger to reach.

The play was ruled a hit, but one could certainly make the case that Middlebrooks should have been charged with an error. If he delivered a good throw, Keppinger likely would have been out. At the very least, it would have been a close play.

Buchholz battled back to strike out Tyler Flowers looking, and he nearly got Alejandro De Aza to ground into an inning-ending double play. De Aza runs very well, though, and he was able to beat out Stephen Drew’s throw at first base.

Alexei Ramirez got a very good piece of one with two outs, but Jacoby Ellsbury flashed some leather. Ellsbury ran back toward the center-field wall and made a sweet running catch to end the inning.

Mid 5th, Red Sox 2-1: Hector Santiago has done a pretty good job of settling down after a rocky first inning.

Santiago walked Jacoby Ellsbury to begin the fifth inning, but the lefty bounced back to induce a 5-4-3 double play with Jonny Gomes batting. The inning ended when Dustin Pedroia popped out to Paul Konerko in foul territory along the first-base line.

Santiago is up to 94 pitches through five innings.

End 4th, Red Sox 2-1: Paul Konerko led off the fourth inning with a hit, but the White Sox couldn’t use it as springboard toward better things.

Dayan Viciedo grounded to short after Konerko’s single, and the Red Sox again had a hard time spinning a double play. Stephen Drew threw what looked like a knuckleball to Dustin Pedroia, and it ruined any chance Boston had of completing the twin killing.

But if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Connor Gillaspie grounded to second with one out, and Pedroia started up a successful inning-ending double play.

Hector Santiago, who struck out the side last inning, will stay in the game to pitch the fifth inning.

Mid 4th, Red Sox 2-1: Hector Santiago was very impressive in the fourth inning.

Santiago struck out Will Middlebrooks, Stephen Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia in order. All three hitters went down hacking, and Santiago, who has thrown 83 pitches, now has eight strikeouts.

Middlebrooks and Drew both struck out on fastballs, while Saltalamacchia fanned on a changeup.

End 3rd, Red Sox 2-1: A baserunning decision allowed the White Sox to cut the Red Sox’ lead in half in the third inning.

Tyler Flowers led off the inning with a little ground ball in the infield. Clay Buchholz initially looked like he was going to make the play, but he let it roll past him. Stephen Drew made a barehanded play, but he had no chance of throwing out Flowers at first base.

Alejandro De Aza followed up Flowers’ infield single with a sensational at-bat. Buchholz started the at-bat ahead in the count 1-2, but De Aza battled back to work a walk. De Aza fouled off three straight pitches and then laid off the last two pitches he saw in order to earn the nine-pitch free pass.

Alexei Ramirez almost let the Red Sox off the hook. He nearly grounded into a double play, but Stephen Drew’s throw to second base took Dustin Pedroia a little off the bag. Ramirez was able to beat out the throw at first base, which set up runners at the corners with one out.

Alex Rios got into a very hitter-friendly 3-0 count before Buchholz battled back. Buchholz got Rios to ground a 3-2 pitch to short, but the Red Sox were unable to turn a double play because Ramirez was off with the pitch. Drew instead had to settle for throwing out Rios at first base while Flowers scored Chicago’s first run.

Adam Dunn struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mid 3rd, Red Sox 2-0: Hector Santiago is pitching on three days’ rest, and is making just his fifth start of the season, so it’ll be interesting to see how long the left-hander goes in this game.

Santiago, who had a rough first inning, issued two walks in the third inning, although the threat actually wasn’t that daunting because of a double play from David Ortiz.

Santiago tried to go away against Ortiz in the first inning and the slugger made him pay by dropping a two-run single into left field. He changed his approach against Ortiz in the third, and the Red Sox DH pulled a ground ball to the right side to start up a 4-6-3 double play.

Mike Napoli walked with two outs, giving him two walks for the game. Santiago bounced back to strike out Daniel Nava, who has now struck out twice against the lefty.

End 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Clay Buchholz’s second inning was much smoother.

Buchholz still struggled to find a rhythm during the inning’s open at-bat. He went to a three-ball count against Dayan Viciedo before eventually getting him to ground out to short.

Stephen Drew made a nice play ranging in and to his right. He scooped Viciedo’s chopper on the back hand and fired a good, strong throw to first to record the out.

Buchholz then got Conor Gillaspie to fly out to left field. Jeff Keppinger, like Viciedo, grounded out to short to end the inning.

Mid 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Jacoby Ellsbury has been taking a lot of heat, and is facing a tremendous amount of pressure. He took a step in the right direction in his second at-bat, though.

Ellsbury singled with two outs in the second inning. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, it didn’t lead to any additional damage on the scoreboard, but it’s still encouraging considering the ongoing debate about whether or not to move Ellsbury out of the leadoff spot.

Stephen Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia each struck out before Ellsbury’s hit, and Jonny Gomes ended the inning with a flyout to left field.

End 1st, Red Sox 2-0: Clay Buchholz struggled to find any sort of rhythm in the first inning. But he still managed to hold down the White Sox’ offense.

Alejandro De Aza led off the inning with a single into center field. Buchholz responded by giving De Aza, who stole 26 bases last season, a lot of attention over at first base, and it paid off. De Aza tried to steal second, but he got a terrible jump, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia was able to gun him down.

Buchholz still struggled to settle in after that, as he walked both Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios, but he struck out Adam Dunn and retired Paul Konerko on a sharp line drive to left field to end the inning. Jonny Gomes made a nice sliding grab on Konerko’s lineout.

Buchholz threw 22 pitches in the frame, and only 10 were strikes.

Mid 1st, Red Sox 2-0: The Red Sox were no-hit until the seventh inning on Tuesday. They obviously have different plans for this game.

David Ortiz — the guy who broke up Jose Quintana’s bid for a no-hitter on Tuesday — dropped a bloop single into left field to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Jonny Gomes was hit by a pitch after Jacoby Ellsbury grounded back to the mound to kick things off. Dustin Pedroia then ensured Ortiz went to work with two runners in scoring position by doubling down the left-field line. Hector Santiago hung a 2-1 changeup, and Pedroia turned on it, drilling it down into the corner.

Ortiz’s two-run single wasn’t hard hit by any means. Santiago actually made a really good pitch down and out of the strike zone, but Ortiz poked it into left field to get the job done.

The Red Sox threatened to add more when Mike Napoli walked and Ortiz surprisingly swiped third base (no, seriously), but Santiago struck out both Daniel Nava and Will Middlebrooks to limit the first-inning damage.

8:11 p.m.: The first pitch to Jacoby Ellsbury is a strike, and we’re underway.

8:04 p.m.: Clay Buchholz still leads the American League in ERA with a 1.78 mark. Win No. 7 has been very elusive, though.

This is Buchholz’s fourth crack at winning his seventh game. If he succeeds in improving to 7-0, he’ll become the first Red Sox pitcher to start a season 7-0 since Josh Beckett in 2007.

7:45 p.m.: It’ll be interesting to see how long the Red Sox stick with Jacoby Ellsbury in the leadoff spot if he continues to struggle. It’ll be even more interesting to see who John Farrell inserts at the top of the order if he does eventually make a lineup change.

Farrell made his weekly appearance on WEEI on Wednesday, and he said that Ellsbury is still Boston’s leadoff man right now. He didn’t rule out a change, though, noting that the Red Sox moved Ellsbury out of the leadoff spot in the past. That came in 2009 when Terry Francona was still Boston’s manager, and Ellsbury responded by going on a tear and recapturing the job later that season.

In an ideal world, Ellsbury will play his way out of his current slump. If that doesn’t happen, though, I think the Red Sox really have no choice but to make a change.

Click here to read Farrell’s comments >>

5:25 p.m.: Jacoby Ellsbury is still leading off for the Red Sox. Take a look at Wednesday’s lineups below.

Red Sox (27-19)
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Jonny Gomes, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Clay Buchholz, RHP (6-0, 1.78 ERA)

White Sox (21-23)
Alejandro De Aza, CF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Adam Dunn, DH
Paul Konerko, 1B
Dayan Viciedo, LF
Conor Gillaspie, 3B
Jeff Keppinger, 2B
Tyler Flowers, C

Hector Santiago, LHP (1-2, 2.78 ERA)

8 a.m. ET: The Red Sox’ offense sputtered again on Tuesday, and Boston lost its second straight game against the White Sox. Clay Buchholz will now be asked to fend off a sweep while trying to end the Red Sox’ nine-game road trip on a positive note.

Boston is 5-3 on its current trip, but it’d be hard to get too fired up about the overall results if it ends with a three-game sweep in the Windy City. The Sox were riding high after taking care of business in Minnesota, but they haven’t been able to come up with timely hits in Chicago, and now they’re once again staring a mini skid in the face.

Buchholz will be making his fourth attempt at picking up win No. 7. He still owns a perfect 6-0 record, but he’s received a no-decision in each of his last three starts. Buchholz gave up two runs over seven innings in his last start against the Twins on Friday, but the Red Sox needed 10 innings to pick up a 3-2 victory. Buchholz will go up against Hector Santiago on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s game will kick off at 8:10 p.m. Be sure to tune in on NESN, and follow all of the action right here as well.

Most of the damage done by the Chicago White Sox against Red Sox pitching this series has come with two outs. In fact, all of it had come with two outs entering Wednesday night’s game.

Clay Buchholz has done a good job of avoiding those two-out runs through the early portions of the game, but anything’s possible as the night goes on. For now, NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette is hoping that the South Siders will run out of that two-out magic. See more in the above video.

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The Red Sox have not had a very fun trip to Chicago, as the White Sox are on the verge of a sweep on Wednesday night. Clay Buchholz will be on the mound in hopes of preventing that, and Boston would certainly hope for him to be capable.

Once again, the Red Sox find themselves in need of a “stopper” to prevent a longer losing streak, and instead of turning to Jon Lester as they did last time, it’s now Buchholz’s turn to step up. NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette is optimistic that he’s up to the task, but a little more concerned about how often stopper-worthy situations have arisen.

Check out more in the video above.

Join NESN Nation: In-game home page | Twitter | Facebook

The White Sox followed up a 6-4 win Monday night with a 2-1 decision the next night, and they’ll try to sweep away Boston at U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday.

The Red Sox’ bats have struggled to produce in the Windy City. The team has totaled just 10 hits over the two games, with only Mike Napoli recording more than one and Chicago starter Jose Quintana nearly no-hitting the Sox on Tuesday. John Farrell will hope the same batters will have better luck against Hector Santiago, as Boston’s lineup card remains the same for Wednesday night’s series finale.

Chicago will also trot out a very similar lineup, with one small alteration. Third baseman Conor Gillaspie will see action for the first time this series while Jeff Keppinger shifts over to second in place of Tyler Greene.

See the full starting lineups for both teams below.

Boston Red Sox (27-19)
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Jonny Gomes, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Clay Buchholz, RHP

Chicago White Sox (21-23)
Alejandro De Aza, CF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Adam Dunn, DH
Dayan Viciedo, LF
Conor Gillaspie, 3B
Jeff Keppinger, 2B
Tyler Flowers, C

Hector Santiago, LHP

Final, White Sox 3-1: Addison Reed retires the side in order, sending the rain-soaked Chicago crowd streaking for the exits and handing the Red Sox their second straight loss.

White Sox starter Jose Quinata was stellar tonight, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning to record his fourth win of the season. Boston touched Chicago’s bullpen for one run in the eighth, but a failure to score with the bases loaded an inning earlier proved costly.

Felix Doubront tossed one of his best outings of the season (two runs, five hits, two walks over six innings) but was saddled with the loss after being removed with just 85 pitches under his belt.

The two teams will conclude their three-game set Wednesday night, with Clay Buchholz searching for his seventh win over the season opposite Hector Santiago, who gets the start in place of injured ace Chris Sale.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET, with coverage getting underway on NESN at 7 p.m.

End 8th, White Sox 3-1: Miller strikes Adam Dunn, and we head to the ninth.

Mike Napoli, Daniel Nava and Will Middlebrooks are due up against White Sox closer Addison Reed, whose 15 saves rank third in the majors.

Bottom 8th, White Sox 3-1: The Red Sox bullpen has been so good on this road trip, but Alex Wilson can’t keep Boston within one in the eighth.

After quickly recording the first two outs (of course), Wilson allowed a single to Alexei Ramirez — who atoned for his error in Boston’s half of the inning — and an RBI double to Alex Rios, spotting Chicago a 3-1 lead.

A walk to Paul Konerko prompted John Farrell to bring in Andrew Miller, who began his warm-up pitches amid the pouring rain at U.S. Cellular Field.

Mid 8th, White Sox 2-1: Matt Thornton didn’t last long in the eighth before being yanked in favor of Matt Lindstrom. The lefty struggled last night, too, allowing the Red Sox to make a game of it with two runs in the seventh.

Thornton allowed both batters he faced to reach in this one, walking Jarrod Saltalamacchia and giving up a single up the middle to Jacoby Ellsbury.

Lindstrom got Mike Carp — pinch-hitting for Jonny Gomes — to pop out to left-center, but a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, putting men on second and third with one out.

Chicago then reverted to the terrible defense that has plagued the team all year. Alexei Ramirez, who made a number of impressive plays in Monday’s win, allowed Dustin Pedroia’s ground ball to go right through him, with Salty scoring from third on the error. The White Sox’ .980 fielding percentage entering tonight ranks last in the American League.

A 3-6-3 double play kept the damage to a minimum, but the Red Sox now trail by just one run with an inning and a half to play.

End 7th, White Sox 2-0: Alex Wilson makes quick work of the White Sox in the eighth.

Wilson, one of the few Red Sox players who prominently displays his red socks, induced a pair of fly outs that were easily settled under by Daniel Nava and then fielded Tyler Flowers’ two-out grounder himself, flipping to Mike Napoli to end the inning.

It’ll be Salty then the top of the order for the Sox in their half of the eighth.

Mid 7th, White Sox 2-0: The Red Sox loaded the bases against Quintana but could not capitalize off Jesse Crain, who struck out both Will Middlebrooks and Stephen Drew to strand the potential go-ahead runner on first.

Felix Doubront’s night is done, as well, as righty Alex Wilson takes over on the mound. Doubront leaves with a pitching line of two runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over six innings.

Top 7th, White Sox 2-0: It’s seemingly always a bloop that brings down a no-hitter, and that held true again tonight.

David Ortiz’s broken-bat single into shallow center field with one out in the seventh ended Jose Quintana’s no-hit bid. Ortiz’s base knock came on Quintana’s 98th pitch of the night, though, so it’s questionable how much longer he would be able to last even if the no-hitter remained intact.

Mike Napoli followed Papi’s single with one of his own, bringing White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper out for a meeting at the mound. A third straight single, this one by Daniel Nava, loaded the bases with one out and brought Quintana’s night to a close.

Right-hander Jesse Crain will come on in relief.

End 6th, White Sox 2-0: Felix Doubront got into some trouble with two outs again, but he managed to escape unscathed.

Doubront retired Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez on three pitches total (both groundouts to Dustin Pedroia) but needed 16 more to complete the inning.

He first allowed a single to Alex Rios, who extended his hitting streak to 16 games, before walking Paul Konerko and building up a full-count against Adam Dunn. Dunn gave a 3-2 fastball a ride to right field, but Daniel Nava settled under it for the final out.

Doubront’s pitch count is only at 85 so far, but he has been shaky in each of the last two innings. It will be interesting to see if John Farrell sends him back out for the seventh.

Mid 6th, White Sox 2-0: The Red Sox put a baserunner on for the first time since the second inning, but Jose Quintana’s no-hitter remains intact.

Quintana got Stephen Drew to pop out to shallow center field and struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia swinging before issuing a free pass to Jacoby Ellsbury.

Ellsbury was unable to advance — Jonny Gomes struck out to end the inning — but the fact that he is showing a discerning eye has to be a good sign for the Red Sox higher-ups. It was the first walk Ellsbury has drawn in 21 at-bats.

End 5th, White Sox 2-0: After a nearly flawless first four innings, Felix Doubront came off the rails a bit in the fifth.

After two quick outs to start the inning, Dayan Viciedo’s ground ball skidded just under the outstretched glove of Will Middlebrooks, putting the left fielder on base.

Viciedo didn’t spend much time on first, as Jeff Keppinger sent Doubront’s next pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run homer, giving the White Sox their first lead of the night.

Tyler Flowers nearly followed suit in the next at-bat, but his home run bid hit halfway up the way, instead resulting in a double. He was stranded on second, though, as No. 9 hitter Tyler Greene grounded out to Middlebrooks to end the frame.

The Red Sox’ struggles to close out innings continue, as all eight of Chicago’s runs in the series have come with two outs.

Mid 5th, 0-0: Sorry if I jinx you, Jose, but Quintana has not allowed a hit through five innings. Three more fly-ball outs allowed him to complete another 1-2-3 inning in just eight pitches.

His White Sox have managed just one hit tonight, though, and this game is playing out much like Quintana’s second start of the season back in April.

Quintana pitched a gem in that one, allowing just one hit and walking none over seven shutout innings, but the Chicago batters could not muster any support for their starter. Nick Swisher ended up giving the Indians a 1-0 victory with a walk-off single in the ninth.

End 4th, 0-0: Alejandro De Aza drew the first walk against Felix Doubront tonight to open the inning, but a heads-up play by Mike Napoli prevented him from advancing.

With De Aza on first, Alexei Ramirez smacked a sharp grounded toward Napoli. Knowing he did not have the time to complete a double play conventionally, the first baseman stepped on first and fired the ball around De Aza to shortstop Stephen Drew, who tagged the runner to complete the twin killing.

Alex Rios then grounded out to Drew to end the inning. Thanks to a pair of well-timed double plays, Doubront has still faced the minimum (12 batters) tonight despite issuing the fourth-inning walk and allowing a single in the first.

Mid 4th, 0-0: Three fly outs ended it for the Red Sox in the third inning, and three groundouts did the same in the fourth.

Jonny Gomes and Dustin Pedroia both grounded to third baseman Jeff Keppinger, and Tyler Greene made a nice play with the shift to snag a David Ortiz roller between first and second base.

Neither team has been able to place a runner in scoring position tonight, and Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez still owns the only hit.

End 3rd, 0-0: Elevated pitch counts early in games have prevented Felix Doubront from working deep into games (and often caused his starts to become three-plus-hour affairs), but control has not been an issue for the southpaw tonight.

Doubront has faced the minimum through three innings, needing just nine pitches to retire Jeff Keppinger, Tyler Flowers and Tyler Greene in the third.

His pitch count sits at 34 thus far, and he’ll have to keep that total reined in if he hopes to pitch past the seventh inning for the first time this season.

Mid 3rd, 0-0: That was quick. Six pitches, three outs.

Jose Quintana went back to a steady diet of fastballs after varying his pitch selection a bit in the second, and it resulted in consecutive flyouts by Stephen Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a Jacoby Ellsbury popout to shortstop.

Jeff Keppinger and the White Sox’ two Tylers (Flowers and Greene) are due up for Chicago.

End 2nd, 0-0: Back-to-back strikeouts give Felix Doubront his second straight 1-2-3 inning.

The first of those K’s came against Adam Dunn, who victimized Jon Lester last night with a three-run home run in the first inning. That was just Dunn’s third hit of the season against a left-hander, though, as the DH has struggled mightily against southpaws.

Dunn is also arguably the most strikeout-prone hitter in the majors. Last night marked just the eighth time this season that he did not go down by way of the K.

Doubront also sat down Dayan Viciedo swinging and induced a 5-3 groundout off the bat of Paul Konerko.

Mid 2nd, 0-0: The Red Sox’ first baserunner of the night comes as a result of the best at-bat of the game so far.

After falling behind 0-2, Daniel Nava fouled off six Jose Quintana pitches before working a 12-pitch walk with two outs. Nava would advance no further than first, though, as Will Middlebrooks saw just three pitches before grounding out to shortstop to end the inning.

Quintana also struck out Mike Napoli swinging and got David Ortiz to pop out to third base to open the inning.

Those who were hoping to see White Sox ace Chris Sale start tomorrow night’s series finale will be disappointed, as the lefty has been scratched with some mild tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.

End 1st, 0-0: Alexei Ramirez reaches on an infield single for the game’s first hit, but Felix Doubront got the following hitter, Alex Rios, to ground into an inning-ending double play to prevent any damage.

Will Middlebrooks was unable to field Ramirez’s slow roller cleanly, but he likely would not have been able to catch the fleet-footed shortstop, anyway.

Rios went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored the game’s first run last night, and he has been an absolute force on the offensive end this season. The right-fielder is batting .301 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs and enters tonight on a league-best 15-game hitting streak.

Mid 1st, 0-0: So, this first inning taught us that Jose Quintana plans on throwing a whole lot of fastballs tonight.

Fourteen of his 15 pitches were of the heater variety — with one slider tossed in there — and the Red Sox could not get out ahead of them.

Quintana got ahead of leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury 0-2 before inducing a flyout to center (though Alejandro De Aza nearly overran it and needed a little hop to make the catch) and proceeded to strike out both Jonny Gomes and Dustin Pedroia swinging.

De Aza, Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios are due up first against Red Sox starter Felix Doubront.

8:11 p.m.: Jacoby Ellsbury takes strike one from Jose Quintana and we are underway.

In just his second season in the majors, Quintana has enjoyed moderate success since making his big-league debut last May.

Control problems began to mount as last summer wore on, but the left-hander was dominant in his lone appearance against Boston, scattering five hits and zero walks over eight shutout innings at Fenway on July 19. His bullpen couldn’t back him up, though, as the Red Sox came away with a 3-1 victory.

Ellsbury, Jonny Gomes and Dustin Pedroia will be the first to challenge Quintana tonight.

6:30 p.m.: The lineups have been released for tonight’s tilt, and apart from one predictable adjustment — Daniel Nava shifting to right field in place of the injured Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes filling Victorino’s No. 2 slot and playing left — they’re identical to what the teams trotted out last night.

Red Sox fans — and, they hope, the Red Sox coaching staff — with be watching leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury very closely tonight. The argument to move Ellsbury down in the order for the first time all season has continued to gain steam, particularly after the center fielder went 0-for-4 with four groundouts to the second baseman in Monday’s 6-4 loss.

That argument has now been complicated further, however, by Victorino’s injury, as some have argued for him to be moved up to the top of the order if Ellsbury continues to struggle. Now with Victorino out (for however long that may be), a look at the Sox’ roster yields no compelling replacement for Ellsbury in the No. 1 slot. John Farrell certainly hopes that is a bridge he will not have to cross.

(According to The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham, Victorino’s condition is being considered “day-to-day” at the moment, but Farrell has not ruled out placing him on the disabled list.)

Take a look at the full starting lineups for both teams below.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Jonny Gomes, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Felix Doubront, P

White Sox
Alejando De Aza, CF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Adam Dunn, DH
Dayan Viciedo, LF
Jeff Keppinger, 3B
Tyler Flowers, C
Tyler Greene, 2B

Jose Quintana, P

8 a.m. ET: The Red Sox came into the final leg of their road trip riding a five-game winning streak. That did not seem to impress the White Sox, who proceeded to rough up Boston ace Jon Lester en route to a 6-4 win Monday night.

The Sox-Sox series continues on Tuesday, with Boston sending Felix Doubront to the hill to oppose Chicago’s Jose Quintana.

Doubront (3-1, 6.03 ERA) is making his second start since returning to the rotation after injuries elsewhere on the staff forced him briefly into the bullpen. He finished with a no-decision his last time out — a 4-3 win over the Rays last Thursday — and struggled mightily with his location, walking a season-high six batter in just five innings.

Quintana has compiled a 2-1 record with a 3.97 ERA through eight starts but hasn’t notched a win since April 24. The southpaw allowed four runs on six hits and three walks in a no-decision against the Angels last Thursday.

First pitch from Chicago is scheduled for 8:10 p.m., with coverage starting on NESN at 7 p.m.

The Windy City was unkind to the Red Sox on Monday, as they came up just short in their comeback bid against the White Sox. Will Middlebrooks had a chance to tie the game up, but his home run bid died on the warning track, and any hope of Boston winning did as well.

Still, Jon Lester and the (Red) Sox were time and time again just one pitch or one batter away from getting out of trouble all night. Somehow, the White Sox were able to come away with timely hits in each of those key situations, Adam Dunn’s three-run home run in the first inning standing out among them.

For that, we’re awarding him our “Last-Second City” player of the game award. Who gets yours?

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Final, White Sox 6-4: And that’ll do it.

A bit of a tailwind might have changed the Red Sox’ fortunes in the ninth inning, as Will Middlebrooks’ deep fly ball fell about two feet short of leaving the yard with Mike Napoli on first.

Paul Konerko then made a great diving stop on a sharp Stephen Drew grounder before flipping to closer Addison Reed to put this one in the books.

Jon Lester struggled out of the gate for the Red Sox, allowing the six Chicago runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks over six innings. The White Sox had their “fun with two,” scoring all six of their runs with two out to saddle Lester (6-1) with his first loss of the season.

These two teams will be back at it again Tuesday night — same time, same place. Felix Doubront will start for Boston opposite Chicago’s Jose Quintana. See you all back here tomorrow.

End 8th, White Sox 6-4: The White Sox threatened to add to their lead in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with one out, but Craig Breslow was able to escape unscathed.

With pinch runner Casper Wells on third and Jeff Keppinger, who doubled inside the third-base bag, on second, Breslow got Tyler Flowers to pop out to third and Tyler Greene to line out to first to leave ‘em stranded.

The team is now reporting that Shane Victorino left tonight’s game with tightness in his left hamstring, meaning that his injury was not a reaggravation of the back problems that sidelined him last week.

Mid 8th, White Sox 6-4: Jacoby Ellsbury and Tyler Greene have become very well-acquainted tonight, as the Red Sox leadoff man has now grounded out to Chicago’s second baseman four times in this game.

May has not been kind to Ellsbury, who has seen both his average and on-base percentage steadily dwindle over the past few weeks. As NESN.com hockey guy Mike Cole points out, the center fielder is hitting just .133 over his last 14 games.

The Red Sox got a walk by Jonny Gomes, but nothing else off Jesse Crain in the eighth. Craig Breslow will attempt to keep the deficit at two runs in the bottom of the inning.

End 7th, White Sox 6-4: Clayton Mortensen relieves Jon Lester in the seventh and records three quick ground-ball outs.

Tonight was not Lester’s finest outing, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks over six innings.

He had no trouble starting strong, retiring the first two batters in five of his six frames, but that third out proved elusive. All six Chicago runs tonight have come with two outs.

The Red Sox have clawed their way back into this game, though, and trail by just a pair as we head to the eighth. The top of the order is due up.

Mid 7th, White Sox 6-4: Dylan Axelrod can’t be very pleased in the White Sox dugout right now.

Axelrod was lifted in favor of reliever Matt Thornton before the seventh inning, and Thornton proceeded to open the frame by walking both David Ortiz and Mike Napoli.

After Daniel Nava flew out to right, Will Middlebrooks’ wall-ball double was misplayed by left fielder Dayan Viciedo, allowing both runners to score to cut Chicago’s lead in half.

Thornton the got a gift from home-plate umpire Alfonso Marquez when Stephen Drew was punched out on a pitch that looked to be clearly outside. Jarrod Saltalamacchia then made a bid for his second home run of the night, but his fly ball stalled at the warning track.

The damage was done, though, and the Red Sox now trail by just two runs heading into the seventh-inning stretch.

End 6th, White Sox 6-2: Jon Lester turns in a much-needed 1-2-3 inning, and we head to the seventh.

No word has emerged on the condition of Shane Victorino, who appeared to injure himself while beating out an infield single last inning. One would gather (and this is only speculation) that he may have tweaked his back, which has given him problems on multiple occasions this season. We’ll bring you more as information as it’s released.

Dylan Axelrod’s night is done, as Matt Thornton takes over on the mound for Chicago. Axelrod exits with a solid line of two runs on four hits and a walk over six innings, striking out to. He is in line for his second win of the season if the White Sox can hold on.

Mid 6th, White Sox 6-2: The Red Sox recorded two hits in an inning for the first time tonight, but a well-timed double play foiled their scoring chances.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled to lead off the sixth — his second hit of the night — but Alexei Ramirez made another nifty defensive play with Jacoby Ellsbury at the plate, avoiding the sliding Salty and spinning to retire the speedy leadoff man and complete Chicago’s second double play of the night.

Shane Victorino then followed with a single of his own, but Dustin Pedroia flew out to the warning track in center to end the inning.

Bad news for the Red Sox, as Victorino appears to have pulled something while beating out that infield single. John Farrell removed him from the game prior to the bottom of the sixth, with Daniel Nava shifting over to right field and Jonny Gomes taking over in left.

End 5th, White Sox 6-2: The White Sox put three runners on without recording a hit, bringing out Juan Nieves for his second mound visit of the night.

Alexei Ramirez reached on an error to open the inning, as his ground ball bounced off Will Middlebrooks’ glove and Stephen Drew couldn’t wrangle the carom in time to nab the Chicago shortstop at first.

A pair of overthrows (one on Drew’s throw to first and another on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s attempt to catch Ramirez stealing) could have proved costly, as well, but Ramirez chose not to try his luck on either.

Lester then walked Alex Rios but was bailed out by a big 4-6-3 double play, though it did allow Ramirez to advance to third. He then got ahead of Adam Dunn 0-2 but could not retire the strikeout-prone designated hitter, instead throwing four consecutive balls to issue his second free pass of the inning.

Dayan Viciedo’s ensuing single up the middle allowed Ramirez to score easily from third, increasing the White Sox’ lead to 6-2. All six runs have come with two outs.

Jeff Keppinger popped out in foul territory to end the inning.

Mid 5th, White Sox 5-2: Stephen Drew gave a full-count fastball from Dylan Axelrod a ride, almost coming up with a home run nearly identical to Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s back in the third inning, but his fly ball ran out of gas at the warning track.

The fell into Dayan Viciedo’s glove to complete yet another 1-2-3 inning for Axelrod, his fourth in five innings.

Daniel Nava also lined out softly to right field and Will Middlebrooks struck out swinging in the frame.

End 4th, White Sox 5-2: Jon Lester seems to have finally found a groove, retiring the two Tylers (Flowers and Greene) and Alejandro De Aza all on ground balls for his first 1-2-3 inning of the night.

The Sox still trail by three, though, as Dylan Axelrod has been very strong on the mound for Chicago. Daniel Nava is due up first against the right-hander in the fifth.

Mid 4th, White Sox 5-2: Dustin Pedroia has improved his hitting streak to 12 games after beating out an infield single to lead off the fourth.

Jeff Keppinger almost managed to retire Pedroia with what would have been a heck of a play, snagging the sharp grounder with his bare hand, but his throw arrived a half-second late.

Dylan Axelrod was still able to complete his third 1-2-3 inning of the night, though, as he got David Ortiz to ground into a 3-6-3 double play and struck out Mike Napoli swinging.

Napoli’s 60 K’s on the season rank second in the majors behind Houston’s Chris Carter (65).

End 3rd, White Sox 5-2: Jon Lester retired the first two batters of the third inning before allowing a base hit. Stop me if this is sounding repetitive.

Luckily for the Red Sox, Lester was able to escape this one without allowing further damage. It wasn’t without drama, as a Jeff Keppinger line drive that landed just inches foul down the left-field line would have likely allowed Dayan Viciedo to score from first first.

But Lester got Keppinger to ground out to short on the next pitch, stranding Viciedo, who singled an at-bat earlier.

Lester’s pitch count is climbing dangerously high, as the lefty has already thrown 61 pitches through the first three innings.

Mid 3rd, White Sox 5-2: Well, that’s a good place to start.

After Stephen Drew worked a one-out walk to give Boston its first baserunner of the night, Jarrod Saltalamacchia put just enough of a charge into a low fastball for it to clear the wall in left-center field.

Salty’s fifth homer of the year — and his second in three games — cut the Chicago lead to three runs before Jacoby Ellsbury (groundout) and Shane Victorino (popout) went down consecutively to end the frame.

End 2nd, White Sox 5-0: Jon Lester again retired the first two batters in the second, but he was again unable to shut the door on the White Sox.

Chicago responded with three two-out doubles by Tyler Greene, Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez to run its lead to 5-0 and prompt a mound visit by Red Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves.

Lester’s early struggles tonight are uncharacteristic of the pitcher’s performance so far this year. In 10 starts, he has allowed a first-inning run just once (April 30 in Toronto) and has never surrendered more than one in the opening frame. The five earned runs allowed tonight already matches his season high.

Alex Rios popped out to shallow center to end the inning, and the bottom third of the Red Sox order will look to chip away at Chicago’s lead in the third.

Mid 2nd, White Sox 3-0: The Red Sox go down in order again in the second, thanks to a pair of nice plays by Alexei Ramirez.

The shortstop first charged a slow roller off the bat of David Ortiz to retire the designated hitter, who has never run particularly well. He then showed some quick reflexes in corralling Mike Napoli’s low line drive that skipped off the dirt near the outfield grass.

Daniel Nava then flew out to center to end the inning.

Dylan Axelrod has been efficient for Chicago tonight, needing just 19 pitches to retire the first six batters.

End 1st, White Sox 3-0: Alex Rios entered tonight with a league-leading 14-game hit streak, and he didn’t have to wait long to extend it.

After Alejandro De Aza popped out to short and Alexei Ramirez struck out swinging, Rios singled up the middle off Jon Lester for the game’s first hit. Rios then stole second on a 2-1 pitch to Paul Konerko, and Lester proceeded to walk the veteran first baseman to put a pair of runners on for Adam Dunn.

Dunn then did what he does best (no, not strike out), sending Lester’s offering into the right-field seats to give Chicago an early 3-0 lead.

Dayan Viciedo grounded out to shortstop Stephen Drew to end the inning.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Axelrod makes quick work of the Red Sox in the first, retiring Ellsbury, Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia in order on nine pitches.

Pedroia has paced the Sox’ lineup over the past two weeks. He carries a team-high 11 game hitting streak into tonight and went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in yesterday’s 5-1 win in Minnesota.

Alejandro De Aza, Alexei Ramirez and the red-hot Alex Rios are due up for the White Sox against Jon Lester.

8:10 p.m.: Jacoby Ellsbury, returning to the leadoff spot after sitting out yesterday’s game, takes ball one from Dylan Axelrod and we are underway in the Windy City.

Ellsbury has faced the 27-year-old righty just three times in his career, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

7:35 p.m.: It was pouring buckets moments ago back home in Boston, but the forecast at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago calls for clear skies and temperatures in the 70s and 80s throughout the evening.

In other words: perfect weather for baseball.

The first pitch from White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod is scheduled for just about 45 minutes from now.

5:45 p.m.: After fielding an unorthodox lineup in each of the weekend’s three games in Minnesota, the Red Sox will trot out their usual starting nine tonight.

Stephen Drew, who was spelled by Pedro Ciriaco on Saturday and Sunday, returns at shortstop and bats eighth after sitting out with back pain caused by an awkward slide into second base during Friday night’s win.

Jacoby Ellsbury will also be back in the leadoff spot for the 44th time this year after receiving his first off day on Sunday.

The Red Sox will hope the afternoon off lit a fire under Ellsbury, as the center fielder has struggled to get on base at a consistent clip this season. He currently ranks eighth among active Red Sox hitters in batting average (.246) and 11th in on-base percentage (.309). Ellsbury has been productive when he does reach, though, trailing only Dustin Pedroia with 24 runs scored (granted he has taken 15 more at-bats than any other Boston player) and tying for third in the majors with 13 stolen bases on the season.

The Sox will be facing a Chicago offense that has floundered in the cellar of the American League (ranking 26th or lower in total runs, team average and team slugging percentage) and is buoyed in every way by right fielder Alex Rios.

Rios has started all 42 games for the White Sox and leads the team in literally every offensive category, compiling a .301/.363/.558 slash line with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. He comes in riding an AL-leading 14-game hit streak and is one of the few prominent names — along with Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn — in a lineup filled primary with up-and-comers or journeymen.

Here are the full starting lineups for both teams:

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, LF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Jon Lester, LHP

White Sox 
Alejandro De Aza, CF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Adam Dunn, DH
Dayan Viciedo, LF
Jeff Keppinger, 3B
Tyler Flowers, C
Tyler Greene, 2B

Dylan Axelrod, RHP

3:59 p.m.: The Red Sox are getting their closer back.

Andrew Bailey was activated from the 15-day disabled list this afternoon. Righty Jose De La Torre was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room on the 25-man roster.

Bailey is 1-0 on the season with five saves and a 1.46 ERA. He has 20 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.

De La Torre made two appearances in relief for the Red Sox. He allowed two earned runs in two innings and recorded two strikeouts. — DK

3 p.m. ET: A little road swing through Tampa, Minnesota and Chicago appears to be just what the doctor ordered for the stumbling Red Sox, who have bagged five wins in a row so far.

Tonight, the Red Sox (27-17) open a three-game series on the South Side of Chicago, where they’ll visit the White Sox (19-23). Boston is looking to keep the wins rolling and also put some runs behind Jon Lester (6-0, 2.72 ERA), who has a chance to become the club’s first left-hander in 40 years to go 7-0 (Roger Moret did it in 1973 en route to a 10-0 start).

Lester has been lights-out lately, and he’ll likely be a handful for the White Sox, who sent righty Dylan Axelrod (1-3, 4.27) to the hill.

Check back here for updates and analysis before the game, then be sure to flip to NESN around 7 p.m. for pregame action. First pitch is going at 8:10 p.m.

John Farrell

Stephen Drew makes his return to the starting lineup after an awkward slide into second base Friday night forced him to miss the final two games of the Minnesota series. The shortstop seems to have finally snapped out of the funk that followed him early on, and he has become a solid producer near the bottom of the order. Drew has hit safely in four of his last five games and totaled four extra-base hits over that span, including a grand slam last Wednesday in Tampa Bay.

While Drew returns to the bottom third of the order (batting eighth on Monday), Jacoby Ellsbury returns to the top after getting his first day off of the season in Sunday’s rain-soaked win over the Twins. Ellsbury has performed well on the basepaths — he’s tied for third in the majors with 13 steals this season — but he has struggled to get on base consistently from the leadoff slot. His .309 on-base percentage ranks second-to-last among Monday night’s starters for Boston.

Check out the full lineups for both teams below.

Boston Red Sox (27-17)
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, LF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Jon Lester, LHP

Chicago White Sox (19-23)
Alejandro De Aza, CF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Adam Dunn, DH
Dayan Viciedo, LF
Jeff Keppinger, 3B
Tyler Flowers, C
Tyler Greene, 2B

Dylan Axelrod, RHP

Manny Ramirez

Ramirez, who turns 41 in May, has signed with the EDA Rhinos of the four-team Chinese Professional Baseball League, agent Barry Praver confirmed to CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman. Ramirez had been attempting a major league comeback, but it’s clear he didn’t generate much interest, and the 12-time All-Star will instead take what’s left of his talents to Taiwan.

Ramirez’s deal doesn’t figure to be a lucrative one, so the decision was likely made in the hopes that he can prove himself overseas before ultimately receiving a more intriguing opportunity.

Ramirez did suit up for the A’s during spring training last season, and went on to play in 17 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate, but he was eventually released. He hit .302 with 14 RBIs in 63 minor league at-bats.

Ramirez, who has been a very polarizing figure throughout his baseball career, last played in the majors with the Rays in 2011. He played in five games that season before being suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Regardless of one’s stance on Ramirez, there’s no doubt he put together a very solid career. If he never plays in another major league game, Ramirez will walk away with a career .312 average, .411 on-base percentage, .996 OPS and 555 home runs.

The mercurial star also earned quite a bit of money throughout his career — over $206 million, according to Baseball Reference — so his comeback bid seems like it’s about more than just another paycheck.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

Dunn plays a bartender in Dallas Buyers Club, according to ESPN.com. IMDB describes the movie, which opens in Summer 2013, as “Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug taking, women loving, homophobic man who, in 1986 was diagnosed with full blown HIV/AIDS and given [30] days to live.”

Dunn got involved with the project through former minor league pitcher Joe Newcomb, who works with the film’s production company.

“My buddy started it,” Dunn said. “He’s ate up with it. He’s the kind of guy who’s not going to half-do anything. He’s going to do it right.

“It’s probably going to look pretty awesome. We took like 20-something takes each time. I haven’t seen the final product, so keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully, I made it.”

Dunn said he has speaking lines in the movie and that he spent two days in Louisiana shooting his scene. Like any budding actor, Dunn had his demands. The White Sox slugger wanted to make sure the bar he was working was fully stocked with a wide array of his favorite booze.

Photo via Facebook/Chicago White Sox from B/R

There’s that whole 100-plus-year curse going on (complete with a literal goat!), and there’s the recurring 100-loss seasons. Things looked a little better in Chi-town when former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein took the reins last year, but so far the “rebuilding” has been of the more depressing variety. (Fun fact: The Cubs were called the Orphans up until 1902. Fitting, no?)

So it only hurts that much more that the crosstown Chicago White Sox — who not only won a World Series in the last decade but bounced back from a very short rebuilding time of their own to almost make the playoffs last year — are taking over the local youth baseball scene.

The White Sox are sponsoring young ballplayers all over the city, but with one caveat: Teams have to have some variation of “White Sox” in their name, according to the Chicago Tribune. The youth teams are giving up their various MLB monikers and will now be White Sox Yellow, White Sox Red or something else that is decidedly less creative.

The local teams are, unsurprisingly, not pleased with the development. Most of them like the unique names their teams have had for years and the solidarity it gives their communities.

But other people are upset that the White Sox are basically staging a coup for the hearts and minds of young Chicago baseball fans — and wiping out any trace of the Cubs on the youth baseball jerseys.

The youth league leaders insist that the move was done in good sense, as the financial benefits far outweigh the nostalgic loss of ditching the old team names.

“I don’t really care if it was the White Sox that approached us or the Cubs, or even if the Colorado Rockies had approached us,” said Bill Sullivan, president of the Oak Park youth league. “It would’ve been irresponsible of us as a league not to accept this offer.”

Now, there’s an idea — maybe the Yankees or Dodgers could start investing all their excess cash in buying up youth leagues and insisting their names be on the jerseys. Something just doesn’t seem right about that, especially since the White Sox are acknowledging that they’re hoping the entire Chicago juvenile population will start to associate baseball first and foremost with their team.

Poor Cubs — just one more bad turn for the team named after baby bears.

Youkilis “has multiple contract offers on the table,” according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Youkilis is reportedly weighing both high-dollar, one-year options and multiyear deals.

Youkilis was traded midway through last season from the Red Sox to the White Sox, who declined to pick up his option for the 2013 season. But Chicago reportedly isn’t done considering Youkilis for its third-base needs, and the competition has now increased.

The Yankees are said to be looking at Youkilis now that Alex Rodriguez is expected to miss serious time with his latest hip ailment.

Youkilis can also still play first base, his more natural position.

Youkilis hit just .235 last season but batted .275 against left-handed pitchers, and he continues to be an on-base threat. He had a .336 on-base percentage last year (.386 against lefties).

The First Fan made his World Series prediction to a crowd gathered at a rally in Woodbridge, Va. on Friday, and went with both of his hometown favorites.

"I want to congratulate the Washington Nationals for bringing playoff
baseball to D.C.," Obama said. "You guys are looking good. I am looking
forward to a White Sox-Nationals World Series.

"White Sox are still in first place," the President continued to a crowd of likely Nats fans, "but
I got to admit, you guys are looking a little better right now. You
guys are looking very good."

The Nationals clinched Washington, D.C.'s first playoff berth since 1933 on Thursday night, but are still very much a question mark in the race without Stephen Strasburg. The White Sox, on the other hand, are fighting for their lives against the surging Tigers in the AL Central. Still, Obama is staying positive.

"It's going to happen," he declared.

Making picks is something that the President has done quite successfully in the past, judging by his men's and women's NCAA Tournament brackets. But this prediction might be his most controversial one yet, because neither of those two teams would be the presumptive favorites to make a deep run into October.

Then again, there certainly would have been some irony if the President had picked, say, Texas to make it to the Fall Classic. Making such a safe prediction would have been … conservative of him.

Photo of the Night

These jerseys might be cool if you could ever see them.

Photo via Twitter/@umterps

Quote of the Night

"I have no wish to win an award that would be tainted."
– Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, asking not to win the National League batting title

Tweet of the Night

TGIF!

Sign that it's Friday afternoon: @johnbeattienesn wants me to watch some Gangnam Style dance moves. Not his, fortunately.

— Mike Cole (@MikeColeNESN) September 21, 2012

Video of the Night

When will athletes learn that dunking over small children is never a good look?

Now, it looks like the White Sox have taken a cue. Before leaving for Baltimore on Sunday, the team rocked crazy-colored golf pants for a Caddyshack-themed road trip. Former Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis joined the action with his slacks, and it was quite the fashion — or lack thereof — statement.

Since the rain-shortened win over the Mariners, though, the White Sox have dropped three of four games to the Orioles. Clearly, the new look hasn’t become the team’s good luck charm just yet.

Jeremy Guthrie, who has suddenly revived his career in Kansas City, had a no-hitter going with two outs in the seventh inning when Paul Konerko hit a chopper into the hole at short. Alcides Escobar made a nice backhanded play, but he bounced his throw to first base, allowing Konerko to reach base.

Royals fans held their collective breath as the official scorer determined whether the play should go as an error or the game’s first hit. It didn’t take long for those watching at home to realize the ruling, as the K.C. fans quickly expressed their disapproval with the decision to call the play a hit, thus breaking up Guthrie’s bid.

In the end, it didn’t matter much, as Guthrie would go on to allow two more hits before exiting with two outs in eighth. But had that been the only knock of the game, you can bet Royals fans would have been a bit more disgruntled than they already are on Monday morning.

Check out the hit below, and you be the judge.

But would that souvenir be worth a potential night in the slammer?

One White Sox fan obviously thought so, as he went tumbling into the Kauffman Stadium fountains in order to retrieve No. 400. That's pretty frowned upon in K.C., as we've already seen this season. In addition to getting wet, jumping into the fountain is a shot to the wallet and results in a one-way ticket out of the ballpark.

To some fans, however, it just doesn't matter.

Check out Dunn's blast and the fan's plunge in the video below, courtesy of MLB.com.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, play was stopped when medical personnel rushed over to perform CPR on a man sitting in the first row of seats on the third-base side of the Rogers Centre.

“It was not a good sight. It was bad,” Chicago third baseman Kevin Youkilis said. “I could see the guy pumping on him, doing something where I just knew it was happening too long. I said something to [umpire] Mark [Wegner] and finally I was like ‘We’ve got to stop this thing.’”

The fan was lifted onto a cart and taken to a local hospital, where he then passed away Thursday night.

“It puts it in perspective, you know?” Youkilis said after the game. “This is a game, it’s not life or death.”

The unidentified man was reported to be middle-aged, and it is the second incident this season where a fan has gone into cardiac arrest at a Blue Jays game.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Rogers Centre

OK, so Kevin Youkilis isn’t exactly that new when it comes to being a member of the White Sox. But if Chicago fans had any doubt about the passion with which Youk plays the game, it likely subsided on Tuesday night.

Youkilis was tracking down a popup off the bat of David Cooper in the second inning at Rogers Centre when he ran out of real estate. It didn’t make a difference to Youkilis, though, as the third baseman reached over the railing to make the grab while falling into the stands.

We can probably just chalk this play up to Youk being Youk. Check it out below.

The Chicago White Sox slugger’s most important home run in what would end up being a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays was his game-tying shot in the ninth inning. The homer that everyone should be talking about, though, came earlier in the game.

Dunn clobbered a round-tripper in the fourth inning that went an estimated 469 feet at Rogers Centre in Toronto. And the only thing that stopped the ball from traveling a country mile was, in fact, Dunn’s face. The ball ended up crashing into the video board in right-center field, effectively hitting Dunn square in the mug. 

Dunn, who hit .159 with 11 home runs last season, now has 33 home runs on the year. He also collected his 1,000th career RBI on Monday night, and the two homers give 398 for his career.

See the damage in the photo below and check out the blast in the video.

Photo via Twitter/@ChuckGarfien

5:12 p.m.:

BREAKING: everyone on the #RedSox to receive Tommy John during off season.

— Jessica Chahanovich (@RedSoxChach) July 31, 2012

5:07 p.m.: Yes, the Pirates did in fact acquire Qualls for third baseman Casey McGehee.

Most inexplicable trade of the deadline: Anything for Chad Qualls

— jonahkeri (@jonahkeri) July 31, 2012

4:50 p.m.: It appears that the Cubs have received right-hander Kyle Hendricks and infielder Carlos Villanueva in exchange for Dempster. That's a boon for the Rangers, as they're able to hold onto shortstop Jurickson Profar and third baseman Mike Olt.

4:30 p.m.: We'll wait to see if anything else filters in here, but it was an interesting trade deadline, even if many of the biggest names tossed around didn't end up changing teams.

Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Ryan Dempster were the big fish to move on the final day — Victorino to the Dodgers, Pence to the Giants and Dempster to the Rangers.

We also saw the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Zack Greinke move leading up to Tuesday's deadline day, though, meaning there's plenty of names to keep an eye on down the stretch — even if Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee and Josh Johnson are staying put.

The hometown team didn't make any huge splashes, with Craig Breslow being the lone pickup. The Red Sox sent out Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik to make that happen, and they've reportedly traded Lars Anderson to the Indians for a minor league pitcher.

Like I said, deals could still come in, so keep checking back. Also, be sure to bounce around NESN.com throughout the evening for more up-to-the-minute news and analysis.

At this time, I'll be handing the live blog over to my esteemed colleague Zach Stoloff, who will keep you up to speed on whatever else the night brings. If you'd like, feel free to follow yours truly on Twitter @TheRickyDoyle, because the party never stops.

4:20 p.m.: It looks like Lars Anderson might also be departing Boston. He'll be going to Cleveland for a minor league pitcher, according to CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam.

4:11 p.m.: Sherman is reporting now that the Yankees have, in fact, traded reliever Chad Qualls for infielder Casey McGehee.

4:09 p.m.: The Yankees may have snuck in a trade under the gun. The New York Post's Joel Sherman is working to confirm, but the Yankees were reportedly talking with the Pirates about trading Chad Qualls for Casey McGehee.

4:06 p.m.: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Cubs will receive two Class-A pitchers in exchange for Dempster.

4:03 p.m.: Others are now confirming Olney's report that Ryan Dempster is going to the Rangers. It's a move that definitely boosts Texas' rotation, but one has to wonder how much of a difference-maker he'll be in the American League.

4 p.m.: It took until the closing moments, but ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Rangers have landed Ryan Dempster.

3:58 p.m.: Shin-Soo Choo is expected to remain with the Indians, according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi.

3:56 p.m.: The Dodgers are out on Dempster, but the Yankees are still talking to the Cubs, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

3:50 p.m.: Ryan Dempster won't be going to the Dodgers, according to The Los Angeles Times' Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers are reportedly out on Dempster, and will not be making any other moves today.

If this ends up being true, it ends a busy trade deadline for the Dodgers. They acquired Shane Victorino this afternoon, while also adding Hanley Ramirez, Randy Choate and Brandon League in previous days.

Hernandez is also reporting that the Dodgers made a late push for Twins left-hander Glen Perkins, but nothing materialized.

3:48 p.m.: Josh Johnson is another name we haven't heard much of this afternoon, and it looks like he's staying in Miami. FOX Sports' Jon Morosi reports the Marlins ace will not be traded.

3:42 p.m.: Chase Headley and Stephen Drew are two guys we haven't heard much of here in the final hour. Again, there's still time, but it wouldn't be surprising to see either of them stay put.

3:39 p.m.: There's still time to wheel and deal, although ESPN.com's Gordon Edes is reporting that it's unlikely the Red Sox will be involved in any more transactions before 4 p.m.

3:36 p.m.: We're in the final half hour now. Don't go anywhere when the clock strikes 4, though. That's the deadline for paperwork to be filed to the league, and we've seen deals come in after 4 o'clock in the past. Think Manny Ramirez.

3:30 p.m.: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Jonathan Broxton is going to the Reds.

3:26 p.m.: To follow up on a previous report, it doesn't look like Denard Span will be joining the Reds. CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reports a deal for the outfielder isn't happening between Minnesota and Cincinnati.

3:25 p.m.: The Orioles are reportedly in on Broxton as well, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

3:22 p.m.: And here comes Jonathan Broxton's name. The Reds and Giants are trying to pry the closer away from the Royals, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden.

Broxton, of course, was a huge question mark entering this season, but he's been a nice surprise with Kansas City and could go a long way toward bolstering someone's bullpen.

3:19 p.m.: Alfonso Soriano appears to be staying in Chicago. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the Cubs have said Soriano is likely staying put, although things could reportedly change in August when he clears waivers.

3:16 p.m.: Alfonso Soriano's name is becoming increasingly popular as we hit the 45-minute mark. CSNChicago.com's David Kaplan is reporting that the Tigers and Cubs are hard at work on a deal for the outfielder.

The Tigers were believed to be in the market for a middle-of-the-order bat earlier in the day, and while Soriano isn't the player he once was, he's putting together a nice campaign and remains somewhat of a power threat. Soriano has 19 jacks and 61 RBIs this season.

According to Kaplan, money could end up being the big hold-up in a potential deal.

3:12 p.m.: We've seen crazy things happen in the closing moments of the trade deadline, but it's worth noting that Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach are both plugged into Boston's starting lineup tonight, and Josh Beckett is still tapped as tonight's starting pitcher.

All three of those guys' names were tossed around in rumors over the past 24 hours, so their presence in the lineup could indicate that a deal is unlikely in the final hour.

3:10 p.m.: It looks like Gaby Sanchez will be going from Miami to Pittsburgh, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden.

Sanchez has had a rough season and could benefit from a change of scenery with the Pirates.

3:01 p.m.: It looks like Breslow will indeed be joining the Red Sox.

FOXSportsArizona.com's Jack Magruder is also reporting the deal, tweeting that the Red Sox will be shipping Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik to the Diamondbacks in exchange for the reliever.

The thinking is likely that this move allows Franklin Morales to move back into the rotation if needed. Lefty relievers like Breslow are always valued this time of year, even if they're not the sexiest additions.

2:54 p.m.: It looks like the Red Sox may be on the verge of a trade as we get ready to hit the final hour before the 4 p.m. deadline.

According to The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo, the Sox may be acquiring left-handed reliever Craig Breslow.

Breslow, of course, pitched for the Red Sox in 2006. This season, he's 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 40 games with the Diamondbacks. The lefty boasts a 3.02 ERA in his seven-year major league career.

Keep in mind, nothing is yet official. But the report is at least out there at this moment.

2:50 p.m.: Big trade to report! OK, not really, but it's a deal, nonetheless.

Peter Gammons reports that the Cardinals have received Edward Mujica in exchange for Zack Cox.

2:48 p.m.: Don't count out the Dodgers on Dempster just yet. They're still in on the 35-year-old righty, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Meanwhile, the Cubs would likely eat most of Dempster's salary if he's sent to the Yankees, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

2:43 p.m.: The Yankees have confirmed discussions with the Cubs about Ryan Dempster, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden. That's the first confirmation we've heard from the Yankees side of things, so clearly landing Dempster isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The Yankees did not confirm that Dempster would waive his 10-5 rights, but ESPN.com's Bruce Levine reports that Dempster said he would accept a trade there, as well as to the Rangers and Dodgers.

2:39 p.m.: Back to the Blanton-Orioles talk. Apparently, the Phillies hurler isn't the only player the O's are targeting leading up to the 4 p.m. deadline. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Baltimore is also seeking a reliever while exploring other rotation options.

2:29 p.m.: One hurdle in any potential Ryan Dempster trade is getting him to agree to the deal. Dempster would approve a deal to the Yankees, however, according to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.

2:27 p.m.: The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo is reporting that the Red Sox are exploring a hitter and a reliever (preferably left-handed).

2:14 p.m.: The Hunter Pence deal is official. Pence heads to the Giants in exchange for Nate Schierholtz, Tommy Joseph and Seth Rosen.

2:11 p.m.: FOX Sports' Jon Morosi is now reporting that he and his colleague, Ken Rosenthal, have also been told that the Yankees and Cubs have discussed Dempster.

We'll see if these talks go anywhere, but it's no secret that New York could use a starting pitcher. Dempster might be a gutsy choice, though, as his track record is a bit sporadic despite the superb season.

2:04 p.m.: The Yankees surfaced earlier as a potential suitor for Ryan Dempster, but it was then reported that they weren't involved in any discussions for the Cubs hurler. Well, the flip-flopping continues.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the Cubs are engaged in "heavy discussions" with the Yankees about Dempster, while also talking to the Dodgers and Rangers.

2:00 p.m.: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal is also reporting that the Diamondbacks are trying to land a big-time starting pitcher.

1:58 p.m.: The Reds and Twins are now jumping onto the deadline map, discussing a trade involving Denard Span, according to CBSSports.com's Scott Miller. Miller reports that he's hearing there's a 50/50 chance of a deal happening.

1:57 p.m.: The Nationals remain a possibility for Kelly Shoppach if the Red Sox deal the backstop, according to CBSSports.com's Dany Knobler.

1:56 p.m.: ESPN's Jim Bowden reports that other teams have jump in on the Ryan Dempster sweepstakes, and that there's a "serious game of chicken" going on between the Cubs and Dodgers at this point.

1:54 p.m.: Joe Blanton-to-the-Orioles is gaining steam again, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Connolly reports that at least one source he spoke with said it would now be a surprise if the O's didn't land Blanton.

1:51 p.m.: ESPN's Jim Bowden has taken Olney's report regarding the D-Backs and Cubs a step further, saying that Justin Upton is not part of any Matt Garza trade negotiations.

1:39 p.m.: The James Shields chatter had died down a bit in recent days, but don't close the book on it just yet.

According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, the Rays and Rangers have had discussions about a trade involving Shields.

1:37 p.m.: I noted a little while ago a report stating that Diamondbacks executives were having a closed door meeting. ESPN's Buster Olney is now reporting that the D-Backs are working hard on something big.

Olney notes that a Matt Garza-Justin Upton framework makes sense for both sides, but the Cubs are reportedly on Upton's no-trade list.

1:33 p.m.: While it looked like Ryan Dempster would trade Cubs blue for Dodger blue, that too isn't a done deal, and there's reportedly still some hold-ups.

CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler tweeted that the Cubs have long wanted pitching prospect Allen Webster in any deal, but the Dodgers aren't budging.

"We'll see who blinks," Knobler says. Not us — stay right here.

1:29 p.m.: The Hunter Pence deal isn't 100 percent official yet, but CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman is hearing that the Phillies will receive Tommy Joseph and outfielder Nate Schierholtz in the deal, with a pitcher potentially being the third element in a 3-for-1 swap.

1:05 p.m.: The Dodgers and Giants have traded blows, which means the D-Backs are on the outside looking in at this point. It's as if there's a deadline party, and Arizona isn't invited.

We'll see how long this ends up being the case, though, as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Diamondbacks executives are meeting behind closed doors at a hotel in Los Angeles. Mysterious.

We'll see if the D-Backs decide to up the ante and go after an ace starting pitcher, which there's been some conflicting reports about throughout the morning/afternoon.

12:58 p.m.: Details are still coming out about a potential Hunter Pence deal, but it looks like the Phillies would be receiving minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph as part of the trade, according to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.

Pence is eligible for free agency after 2013. He's hitting .271 with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs this season.

12:55 p.m.: The Dodgers have officially announced the Shane Victorino deal. Figured you'd like to know.

12:50 p.m.: Josh Beckett's name has popped up again out on the Twitterverse. Nothing new to really report, though.

WEEI.com's Rob Bradford tweets that the Red Sox and Rangers are "definitely" not going to revisit any Beckett discussions before today's deadline. That's in line with the reports of late last night, which indicated that Boston will not deal away the right-hander.

Bradford tweets that there's a possibility the two sides could revisit talks prior to the waiver deadline.

12:41 p.m.: A couple of Red Sox updates for all you Bostonians.

ESPN.com's Joe McDonald reports that Ryan Kalish is on his way to Boston. That's likely just the result of Ryan Sweeney's injury, however.

Meanwhile, the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman reports that the Brewers are not in on Kelly Shoppach, which contradicts a previous report stating Milwaukee and Washington were interested in the Boston catcher.

12:32 p.m.: It looks like Ryan Dempster is finally getting his wish and heading to Los Angeles. ESPN's Jim Bowden reports that the final dotting of I's and crossing of T's is being worked on.

It's been a wild hour for the Dodgers, who have now reportedly acquired both Dempster and Victorino while watching the rival Giants reportedly scoop up Hunter Pence.

12:30 p.m.: Developments are coming fast and furious right now, as it appears Hunter Pence is, in fact, on his way to the Giants.

CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman is reporting the deal.

12:26 p.m.: The Dodgers might not be done dealing either. ESPN's Jim Bowden reports that the Dodgers and Cubs are finally closing in on a Ryan Dempster deal.

We've really seen an increase in activity over the past hour or so, and most of it is out in the NL West.

12:22 p.m.: It didn't take long for the Giants to counter the deadline punch thrown by the Dodgers. The Giants are nearing a deal for Hunter Pence, according to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.

The Phillies are really playing a hilarious role in all of this. It's like they're trying to start a fight between the two clubs for their own personal amusement. Classic little kid move.

12 p.m.: As the clock strikes noon, it looks like Shane Victorino is finally ready to become a Dodger.

Yahoo! Sports' Tim Brown reports that the Phillies have traded Victorino to the Dodgers in exchange for Josh Lindblom and Ethan Martin.

Not really a surprise there since a deal has been speculated all morning, but it's the first report that a deal has actually been completed.

11:57 a.m.: There's still plenty of time for things to pick up in Boston, but it's pretty quiet on the Red Sox trade front as the clock gets ready to strike high noon.

The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reports that Sox GM Ben Cherington said via text message that the club is "not engaged in escalated trade talks" at this hour.

11:42 a.m.: The Orioles are an interesting team in all of this. They enter Tuesday's action just two back of a wild card spot. According to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, the O's were sent medicals on Joe Blanton, as well as two Phillies minor leaguers. Busy day in Philly.

11:37 a.m.: When your middle of the order consists of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, typically you wouldn't consider that an area of need. However, it's now just a "50/50" shot that Victor Martinez — who was expected to return as soon as late August — returns to the Detroit lineup at all this season, meaning the Tigers are looking for a middle-of-the-order bat, according to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.

11:29 a.m.: We're roughly 4 1/2 hours away from the big 4 p.m. deadline, and there's still plenty of rumors flying. You guys tired yet?

CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reports that he's hearing the chances of Chase Headley getting dealt is at "50/50." He lists the Indians, Orioles, Pirates, Athletics and Yankees (longshot) as potential suitors.

11:22 a.m.: Well, the belief of many was that a Shane Victorino deal would spell the end of the Hunter Pence trade talk. That's hardly the case, however.

CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury is reporting that Hunter Pence could still go to San Francisco.

It's also interesting to note that Domonic Brown has been scratched from the lineup in his Triple-A game, which presumably means he'll join the big club in Philly in the wake of a deal. That could be the biggest indication that a Victorino trade is nearing completion.

11:19 a.m.: Travis Snider is now a member of the Pirates, and his first order of business is learning how to spell Pittsburgh. Snider's first tweets as a member of the Bucs included him addressing "Pittsburg."

Hey, the guy was excited and he noticed his mistake, so we'll give him a free pass.

11:10 a.m.: ESPN's Jayson Stark is the latest to toss Jarrod Saltalamacchia's name into the trade mix, doing so on SportsCenter. ESPN's Jim Bowden tweeted earlier that the Red Sox may consider dealing the catcher in an effort to pave the way for Ryan Lavarnway, thus getting younger in the process. This should all be taken with a grain of salt at this point, though.

10:56 a.m.: The Rangers could still have interest in Matt Garza, but FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Texas finds the quality of available starting pitchers to be "minimal." With that said, the Rangers could wait until the August waiver period, and then reassess the market.

10:52 a.m.: At this point, by all accounts, it looks like Shane Victorino-to-the-Dodgers might just be a matter of time. Numerous reports state that a deal is close.

A couple of interesting sidenotes of a potential Victorino deal, however, come from ESPN's Jayson Stark. Starks tweeted that a Victorino trade almost certainly ends the possibility of the Phillies dealing Hunter Pence before this winter because they're now short on outfielders. He followed that up by saying that the Victorino deal would also mean Alfonso Soriano won't be attached to any Ryan Dempster trade between the Cubs and Dodgers.

10:45 a.m.: ESPN's Jim Bowden is reporting on Twitter that the biggest name the Sox may move today is "Jarrod Saltallamchia." No telling whether that particular Jarrod is familiar with Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

10:37 a.m.: The Cubs have traded Geovany Soto to the Rangers. Oh, wait, you already knew that?

Well, the two teams finally made the deal — which was widely reported Monday night — official. Soto heads to Texas along with cash in exchange for pitcher Jake Brigham and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Nope, not Johnny Cash. Not Kevin Cash. Not even the Cash Money Millionaires. Just cold hard Cash, my friends.

10:26 a.m.: The Yankees might not be in on Ryan Dempster after all.

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Yankees are telling teams that, contrary to reports, they're not in on the Cubs right-hander.

Welcome to the trade deadline, everyone.

10:22 a.m.: We've got an update on the Matt Garza front. The Cubs are discussing the gutsy right-hander with the Rangers and two other teams, sources tell CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.

The Cubbies could reportedly elect to hold on to Garza, though, as he's under team control through the 2013 season. In fact, that's part of what makes him so appealing to other clubs.

Heyman goes on to report that the Reds are believed to have some interest in Garza, and the Blue Jays have spoken with the Cubs as well.

10:01 a.m.: It might only be a matter of time before Victorino becomes a Dodger. CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reports that a deal between the Phillies and Dodgers is looking very likely, while ESPN's Jayson Stark is reporting that Los Angeles is close to acquiring the veteran outfielder in exchange for Josh Lindblom and a second player.

The action, as expected, is coming fast and furious this morning. A lot of coffee could be in the cards.

9:53 a.m.: You hear that? That's the Yankees suddenly making a little noise.

The Yanks have joined the Dodgers and Rangers in pursuit of Ryan Dempster, according to CSNChicago.com's David Kaplan. Dempster (who has 10-5 rights) would reportedly approve a deal to any of those three teams if the Cubs can agree to a suitable return in exchange for the veteran righty.

The Dodgers have long been linked to Dempster, but the Yankees and Rangers have reportedly stepped up their pursuit over the past 48 hours.

The Rangers are reportedly also looking at Matt Garza in the wake of another subpar outing by Roy Oswalt.

9:45 a.m.: It's looking more and more like the Flyin' Hawaiian could be taking flight.

CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies and Dodgers are in serious talks about Shane Victorino. The Giants and Reds were reportedly also in the mix, but the Phillies are focusing on the Dodgers at this time, and they reportedly want relievers in return.

Victorino, of course, has spent the last eight years in Philly.

Fun fact: Victorino was actually drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 1999 draft. Bet'cha didn't know that!

9:37 a.m.: Well, here's something you rarely come across at this time of year. The Yankees are quiet at the moment, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

The Bronx Bombers have reportedly been trying to acquire a "defense-first type" to help at third base.

9:27 a.m.: Kelly Shoppach has been a very respectable backup to Jarrod Saltalamacchia this season, but when you have Ryan Lavarnway waiting in the wings down in Pawtucket, fans are always going to start talking.

The Brewers and Nationals apparently think the Red Sox could consider dealing Shoppach, as they have interest in the 32-year-old backstop, according to The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo.

9:23 a.m.: Classic trade deadline stuff already.

After a report surfaced stating that the Diamondbacks were looking to swing a blockbuster deal for an ace starting pitcher, another report has surfaced that sort of contradicts the initial report. Classic mix-up.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the D-Backs say Justin Upton is definitely staying, and that there is no truth to rumors of Cliff Lee or Felix Hernandez. That doesn't completely rule out the possibility of a "blockbuster" for a "starting ace," I suppose, but those hurlers seem like the two who would fit that bill. Plus, you have to think Upton would have been a part of any such megadeal.

Nightengale also reports that the Diamondbacks are likely to part with shortstop Stephen Drew before today's deadline.

9:07 a.m.: Felix Hernandez is….probably not being traded.

That's the impression CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman gets from Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, who reportedly said there's "no change on my Felix thoughts.'' No change, of course, would mean King Felix stays put.

9:00 a.m.: It's 9 o'clock, do you know where your links are?

Thought now might be a good time to share some recent stories we've posted here at NESN.com. One gallery details the Red Sox' activity at the trade deadline since 2000, while the other is a glimpse of how some teams should approach the hours leading up to today's buzzer.

Enjoy. This one's on the house.

Click here to relive the Red Sox' trade deadlines since 2000 >>

Click here to see which teams should be buyers and sellers >>

8:53 a.m.: Shane Victorino's name is reportedly still popping up in trade chatter. CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies are looking for a "reliever/plus" in exchange for the Flyin' Hawaiian.

8:45 a.m.: Ryan Dempster's name will undoubtedly be a hot topic leading up to the 4 p.m. deadline. He's a guy that appeared to be on his way to Atlanta just last week. Now, there's some question as to whether or not he'll end up getting dealt.

The latest on him comes from CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, who reports that as of late Monday, nothing was close between the Dodgers and Cubs. This comes after FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported that Dempster "remains adamant that he will only approve a trade to the Dodgers."

Ah, the beauty of 10-5 rights.

8:20 a.m.: Interesting development surrounding the Arizona Diamondbacks this morning. The D-Backs, who have the same record as the Red Sox, are trying to swing a blockbuster deal for an "unknown ace starting pitcher," according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

It's unclear who exactly that ace is, or even who we can slap the "ace" label on nowadays, so trying to pinpoint their target is nearly impossible. Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez and Josh Johnson are three names that have been tossed around like rag dolls lately, though, so perhaps it's one of them. Again, pure speculation. Then again, who doesn't love speculation?

In that same speculation vein, one would assume Justin Upton would have to be part of any deal for a starting ace. I've been wrong before, but it seems like a safe bet.

8:05 a.m.: One name to keep an eye on today is Justin Masterson. The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reported on Twitter Monday that the Red Sox remain interested in the Cleveland right-hander despite seeing him "at his worst" recently. Presumably, Cafardo is referring to Masterson's last start on Saturday, when he allowed 10 runs (eight earned) in 5 2/3 innings against the Twins. According to CBS Sports' Danny Knobler, the Sox had a scout on hand for that start.

Even if the Red Sox don't pull the trigger on a deal for Masterson, other teams could be interested in the righty, as he's under team control through 2014 after coming off the first offseason in which he was arbitration eligible.

Masterson, who had a solid season in 2011, has struggled for the most part this year. ESPN's Jayson Stark is reporting that he is "definitely on the market," though.

7:55 a.m.: Now that everyone's finally gotten up after the 11th snooze, the eye boogers are out and the coffee's poured, it's time to get you caught up on some late-night/early-morning happenings.

First, there's been plenty of speculation regarding the hometown team in recent days, particularly involving Josh Beckett. ESPN.com's Gordon Edes is reporting, however, that the Red Sox will not trade Beckett before Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline. WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports that a trade of the right-hander is "unlikely."

In other words, don't expect Beckett to be packing his bags any time soon.

Red Sox fans also shouldn't expect to see last year's MVP runner-up, Jacoby Ellsbury, go anywhere. Edes reports that while the club fielded numerous inquiries about the outfielder's availability, the Sox have no plans to trade him at this time.

7:30 a.m. ET: Well, here we are.

After weeks and months of trade speculation, we've finally stumbled upon the big day. The MLB trade deadline will come and go at 4 p.m. ET this afternoon.

There's still a lot that could happen between now and then, however — as we've seen in the past. Then, of course, there's the period immediately after the deadline passes, when we wait to see if any other last-second deals were consummated.

NESN.com will be here for all of your trade deadline needs this morning, afternoon and evening. Heck, we'll be here for the rest of eternity. Consider us like a BJ's or sorts; a one-stop shop capable of providing all that you're looking for. We'll have rumors, analysis, commentary and maybe a dash of humor and ruggedness for good measure.

So stick around here throughout the day for all of your up-to-the-minute news. Come on, you at least need an excuse to slack off a little bit, right?