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Monday, July 26^th @ 10:05 p.m.

Clay Buchholz, RHP (10-5, 2.81) vs Dan Haren, RHP (7-8, 4.60)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Tuesday, July 27^th @ 10:05 p.m.

John Lackey, RHP (9-5, 4.36) vs Jered Weaver, RHP (9-6, 3.22)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

Wednesday, July 28^th @ 3:35 p.m.

Josh Beckett, RHP (1-1, 6.66) vs Joel Pineiro, RHP (10-7, 4.18)

TV: NESN, MLB.tv

Radio: Red Sox Radio Network, MLB Game Day Audio

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No matter what sport you play or watch one of the key components to putting yourself in position to win, whether it's a single game or over the course of entire season, is getting off to a good start. You have a good start you feel confident, you may win a game you shouldn't against a difficult opponent and before you know it your team has a huge boost of confidence and anything is possible.

According to some research by Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston, the New England Patriots are second in the NFL with the most consecutive season opening wins with six. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers have more with seven. That means going into the 2010 season opener the Patriots haven't started their season with a loss since 2003. Just to refresh your memory, that was the 31-0 pounding in Buffalo by the Bills who had just signed former New England DB Lawyer Malloy after he was cut. This was the game that brought about the quote from Tom Jackson of ESPN “let me say this clearly…they [the Patriots players] hate their coach.”

So much for my theory, and Jackson's, because the Patriots went 14-2 and won their second Super Bowl in three years. They would win the following one as well becoming the last NFL team to win back-to-back titles.

By the way the Patriots, who open at home against Cincinnati, have never lost a home opener (1st home game of the season) in Gillette Stadium where they are 8-0 since 2002 and have won 13 of the last 15. In their last 10 road openers (1st road game of the season) they are 5-5 under Bill Belichick and they are 1-2 since 2000 when they open the season on the road which hasn't happened since 2007 when they massacred the Jets in the Meadowlands 38-14.

Here's a look at the current streaks, wins or losses, to open a season:

Wins: Steelers -- 7; Patriots -- 6; Broncos -- 3; Cowboys -- 3; Packers -- 3

Losses: Raiders -- 7; Browns -- 5; Buccaneers -- 4; Chiefs -- 4; Dolphins -- 4; Jaguars -- 3; Rams -- 3

Photo credit: Boston Globe

New England Patriots fans have already wondered if wide receiver Wes Welker was superhuman because of his play on the field. Now they're wondering due to Welker's seemingly superhuman healing capacity.

Personally I was amazed when he appeared on the practice field for minicamp earlier this summer but now the word is out that Welker will do full participation in drills at training camp which starts on Thursday.

This is a mere seven months since Welker tore his ACL an injury that at times needs an entire year before an athlete can return. We've started to see athletes comebck from this injury sooner but I can't recall a football player coming back so soon from such a devastating injury. Sure TO came back in four weeks but that was a broken leg and even that was stunning but this recovery by Welker out does that.

It makes you wonder did Welker borrow TO's hyperbaric chamber?

Whatever he did to get back on the field is an amazing tribute to his desire to win. Now hopefully he's truly fully healed and dangerous as ever because Tom Brady and the Patriots are much better team with Welker in slot instead of on the sideline.

Photo credit: AP Photo, SOX & Dawgs illustration

Boston Red Sox @ Seattle Mariners 4:10 p.m Safeco Field SP: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs Doug Fister TV: NESN, MLB.tv Radio: Red Sox Radio Network

Afternoon Red Sox Delight - 7/25 [SOX & Dawgs]

This afternoon, the Boston Red Sox will look to avoid a split in the finale of a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

This afternoon's game will start at 4:10 p.m. and will be shown on NESN in the Red Sox television market. The game can be seen in the Mariners television market on Fox Sports Northwest. If you can't catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2010 Red Sox radio network.

Daisuke Matsuzaka looks to string another good start together for Terry Francona and the Red Sox. In his 13 starts in 2010, he is 7-3 with a 4.29 ERA. He has made six career starts against the Mariners and is 2-1 with a 3.99 ERA. Matuzaka has had good success at Safeco Field in four starts as he is 2-0 with a 2.39 ERA.

Doug Fister will make his 16th start of the season for the Mariners. In his previous 15 starts, he is 3-6 with a 3.56 ERA. He's never faced the Red Sox in his 26 career MLB appearances.

Lineups, batter/pitcher matchups, and links after the jump.

Boston Red Sox @ Seattle Mariners 10:10 p.m Safeco Field SP: Jon Lester vs David Pauley TV: NESN, MLB.tv Radio: Red Sox Radio Network

Game 98: Red Sox at Mariners [Extra Bases]

Boston Red Sox @ Seattle Mariners 10:10 p.m Safeco Field SP: Josh Beckett vs Josh Vargas TV: NESN, MLB.tv Radio: Red Sox Radio Network

Game 97: Red Sox at Mariners [Extra Bases]

We're off for the weekend here at SOX & Dawgs so expect the posting to be light at best. I can promise you though that the GameDay Open Threads will be up for your enjoyment. We'll be back at some point on late Sunday and will resume our normal daily routine on our return.

Enjoy your weekend folks!

If you watched last night's Boston Red Sox versus Seattle Mariners game at Safeco Field, you probably felt like you were at Six Flags of New England riding the Batman - The Dark Knight roller coaster.

Your emotions went up as you watched John Lackey try to complete a no-hitter. Then they went down when you saw Josh Bard's two-out single in the 8th break up said no-no. Then back up again as you realized the Red Sox were holding a 6-1 lead and had Manny Delcarmen, who was perfect since returning from the DL, coming into the game.

Your emotions went back down again as you watched MDC and Jonathan Papelbon implode as they allowed five runs in the bottom of the 9th to allow the Mariners to come back and tie the game and force yet another day of bonus baseball from the west coast. And finally if you made it to the end of the game, you were on that high of finishing the roller coaster ride as the Red Sox scored two runs in the 13th to beat the Mariners 8-6 after a perfect bottom half of the inning from Ramon Ramirez.

Honestly, I really don't feel like talking about what happened in the 9th. It was ugly, plain and simple. But we should talk about Lackey's performance.

Lackey finally looked like the pitcher the Red Sox made a five-year investment in. He attacked the strike zone and made his pitches count. The only run he allowed came on a walk, stolen base and a passed ball.

More importantly for Lackey though, it was his second straight good start and with Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett back plus Daisuke Matsuzaka finding his form (no need to mention Jon Lester here since we all know he's the ace), the Red Sox starting pitching seems to be in good shape.

Now if the bullpen could just help them out, things would be a lot better.

For more slices of 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, you can check out the Seattle Times, Everett Herald and Tacoma News Tribune websites.

Photo credit: Getty Images