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

After taking two-of-three from the Toronto Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox will close out their nine-game homestand with a three-game set against the Seattle Mariners starting tonight, weather permitting of course, at Fenway Park.

Tonight's game is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. and will be shown on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Mariners television market, you can catch the game on FOX Sports North. If you can't catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2010 Red Sox radio network.

John Lackey takes the mound tonight for Terry Francona against his old rivals from the AL West. He's made 25 starts this season and is 11-7 with a 4.62 ERA. He's made one start against Seattle back on 7/22 when he took a no-hitter into the 8th inning. He ended up allowing one unearned run and took a no decision after the bullpen blew it for him. He's made 26 career starts against the Mariners and is 12-9 with a 3.62 ERA.

Rookie Doug Fister makes his 21st start of 2010 for the Mariners. In his previous 28 starts, he is 4-8 with a 3.92 ERA. He's made one career start against the Red Sox and that came back on July 25th when he received a no decision after allowing two runs in five innings of work. He's never pitched at Fenway Park.

Keep reading for tonight's lineups, batter/pitchers matchups, news and links.

After a 1 hour 44 minute rain delay to start the game, the Boston Red Sox almost lost the start of Clay Buchholz to the rain in the top of the third. But after a 59 minute rain delay, Buchholz returned to the mound and helped the Red Sox to a 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays to take the series on Sunday at Fenway Park.

Yet again though, the Red Sox weren't able to make up any ground as the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays both won. The Red Sox are still 6.5 games behind the Yankees for first in the AL East and 5.5 games behind the Rays for second place and also the AL Wild Card lead.

Many thought, myself included, that Buchholz wouldn't return to the game after the 59 minute rain delay. But to the surprise of many when the tarp was being pulled off, Buchholz came out of the dugout and headed to the bullpen to warm up for a second time.

While he did allow five of the six leadoff hitters he faced to reach base, Buchholz was able to work around it as the Blue Jays were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position against him. His fastball and changeup were both "Buch nasty" as they helped him to seven strikeouts.

Just three years removed from a no-hitter in his second big league start and a year removed from spending the first part of the 2009 season in the minors, Buchholz has grown and matured as a person and as a pitcher.

In a rotation that features Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Buchholz has been the most consistent and best pitcher on the Red Sox during the 2010 season. And despite missing two starts while on the DL with a hamstring injury suffered running the bases against the San Francisco Giants, Buchholz has racked up a 15-5 record with a league leading 2.26 ERA. Those 15 wins are good for a tie for second with three other pitchers (Carl Pavano, David Price and Phil Hughes). CC Sabathia leads the AL with 17 wins and has a 3.02 ERA.

Given the success of Buchholz this season, you would have to think he's one of the frontrunners for the AL Cy Young Award. If it weren't for him, the Red Sox certainly wouldn't be in the position they are now.

We'll be back later with tonight's lineups (weather permitting), batter/pitcher matchups, any news and links for the day.

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

And if you must read the enemy papers, head over to The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Toronto Sun websites.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

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

From the sounds of what Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Lowell said after the game on Sunday night, it sure seems like he's going to retire after the 2010 season.

Here's what he told reporters after the game:

“I’m pretty much set in knowing what I’m going to do after this year,” Said Lowell. “It will be fun. It will be fun enjoying my kids.”

Lowell had broached the subject back in April when it looked like he was man without a country. And given everything that's happened this season, you really can't blame him at all.

Originally a throw-in aka salary dump by the Florida Marlins in the Josh Beckett deal, Lowell's done nothing but produced in a Red Sox uniform.

In 2006, he played 153 games and hit .284 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs. During the 2007 season that ultimately saw him becoming the World Series MVP, Lowell hit .324 with 21 homers and 120 RBIs. He battled injuries in 2008 and 2009 and we all know the story of Lowell's 2010.

In five seasons total with the Red Sox, Lowell has played in 586 games with 79 home runs and 367 RBIs.

If he did decide to come back, it's highly unlikely he'd be back in a Red Sox uniform. But no matter what happens, Mikey LOL as I like to call him will be truly missed.

He'll definitely be remembered for one thing too and that's being the ultimate consummate professional. You may never meet a nicer person than him.

If you have the honor of attending the last Red Sox game this season whether it be in the regular season or postseason be sure to give Lowell the ovation that he so truly deserves. And maybe just maybe, he'll pay you back with another home run.

Photo credits: Getty Images

Monday, August 23^rd @ 7:10 PM

Doug Fister, RHP (4-8, 3.92) vs John Lackey, RHP (11-7, 4.62)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Tuesday, August 24^th @ 7:10 PM

David Pauley, RHP (2-4, 3.70) vs Josh Beckett, RHP (3-3, 6.67)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Wednesday, August 25^th @ 1:35 PM

Felix Hernandez, RHP (9-10, 2.51) vs Jon Lester, LHP (13-8, 3.26)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

The latest Nation Lives commercial from NESN and the Boston Red Sox. This one features Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon.

Previous spots:

The Nation Lives - Directions

The Nation Lives - Barbershop

The Nation Lives - Rain Delay

The Nation Lives For Terry Francona

The Nation Lives For Terry Francona (New Version)

Editor's note: Per the usual on Sunday, we'll be combining the recap post with the lineup post for the day.

If it wasn't for one bad inning, Daisuke Matsuzaka might have picked up his ninth win of the season for the Boston Red Sox. But he got help from the bullpen combo of Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon and a walk-off home run from Jed Lowrie that gave his team the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox offense behind Victor Martinez who knocked in three of the first four runs had given Dice-K a 4-1 lead in the 5th inning. At this point, he had been basically cruising through the game with little damage done.

But in the top of the 6th, he allowed a leadoff single to Jose Bautista and a double to Vernon Wells.  John Buck brought Bautista with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. Dice-K then got Aaron Hill to popout to Marco Scutaro, who had three hits on the night, at shortstop. And with first base open and Lyle Overbay, who's been killing the Red Sox at the plate, Dice-K decided to challenge him and instead of pitching around him.

Well Overbay met the challenge of Dice-K's fastball as he planted it in his bullpen to tie the game up at 4. And with the Red Sox needing as many innings as they could get from him, he settled back down and got through eight innings.

Offensively, the Red Sox stranded runners on base yet again. They had three chances, one in the 7th, one in the 8th and one in the 9th to put the game back in their favor but all three times came out empty handed.

It was nice to see Bard and Papelbon back up to their old tricks last night as their pitching was clutch in helping set up Lowrie's game-winning heroics. And Dice-K will learn from his mistake.

Unfortunately the Red Sox weren't able to pick up any ground on the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays. But on the bright side, they didn't lose any ground either. They still sit 6.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East and are 5.5 games behind the Rays for second place and also the AL Wild Card lead.

Time is a ticking for the Red Sox on their 2010 season but they aren't out of anything by no means. They still have 38 games to make a push to the postseason.

Keep reading for today's lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and all of the links from the overnight and this morning after the jump.