Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia will be making his weekly appearance -- called the 'Laser Show' -- on the Mut and Bradford Show at 11 a.m. Saturday. Pedroia will take calls from fans during the segment.

According to the Providence Journal, Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson is line to join the Red Sox' major league coaching staff. The 53-year-old Johnson has managed in the minor leagues for the past 18 seasons, the most recent 10 coming in the Sox' organization. It is believed that with Johnson's arrival, either Tim Bogar or DeMarlo Hale will become the team's bench coach, with the other serving as the third-base coach.

Vince Carter had a game-high 26 points and Rashard Lewis added 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic over the Celtics, 83-78, Friday night at TD Garden. Paul Pierce had 21 and Kevin Garnett chipped in with 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who lost their third straight Friday night game. After getting outscored 29-13 in the first quarter and making just five of 24 shots, the Celtics responded with a big second quarter. The Green outscored the Magic, 27-14, to close to within three at the half. The second half lived up to the billing of two Eastern Conference powerhouse teams getting together early in the season. Rasheed Wallace hit a short jumper with 2:53 remaining to tie the game, 78-78. But following a timeout, Carter hit a turnaround jumper with 2:32 to give the Magic the lead for good. For complete coverage, visit the Green Street blog. 

 Patrice Bergeron deflected a wrist shot by Zdeno Chara past Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller 47 seconds into overtime lifting the Bruins to a 2-1 victory Friday.  Milan Lucic had tied the game with a goal in the second period.  Boston has now taken the first two games of a four-game road trip that began with Bergeron scoring the shootout winner in Atlanta last night. Tuukka Rask had 25 saves in Friday's win. 

John Holland had a game-high 21 points off the bench and Jake O'Brien added 14 as Boston University gave new head coach Pat Chambers his first win on Friday night, a 71-67 victory over Indiana (2-2) in the second round of the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. Tyler Morris chipped in with 13 for the Terriers (1-3) outscored the Hoosiers 41-33 in the second half to overcome a five-point halftime hole.  

FOXBORO  --  If Matt Light is cleared to play this weekend against the Jets after missing the last four games with a knee injury, don't expect him to be moved over to right tackle so Sebastian Vollmer can stay on the left side. "I'm not saying he can't do it, I think he's just better on the left side," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said on Friday of Light. Vollmer has played left tackle, protecting Tom Brady's blind side, while Nick Kaczur has played right tackle. "Nick, on the other hand, was a left tackle in college all the way, and the first thing we do was put him at right tackle and he's done well there. Could Matt play right tackle, I'm sure he could but he's done a lot better at left tackle." Light has missed the last four games after injuring his knee in New England's 20-17  OT loss in Denver on Oct. 11. For more, visit the football blog It Is What It Is. 

Playing the second half without star Rakim Sanders, who suffered an ankle injury, the Boston College Eagles dropped an 84-80 decision to St. Joseph's University on Friday in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. BC's Reggie Jackson missed a lay-up with three seconds remaining that would have tied the game. The Eagles (2-1) took a 40-39 lead into the locker room at halftime but were outscored 45-40 in the second 20 minutes, as St. Joe's improved to 3-0. BC plays the loser of Purdue/South Dakota State on Saturday night. For the latest on Eagles news, including Dan Rowinski's preview of Saturday's football showdown with North Carolina, visit the BC Blog. 

Watch video of Patriots locker room reaction with Laurence Maroney talking about his fumble against the Colts and if he was surprised that Bill Belichick went for it on fourth-and-2. Sammy Morris also talks about returning from his knee injury, while Wes Welker speaks about facing the Jets on Sunday. To watch the video click here.

The Red Sox have claimed right-handed pitcher Robert Manuel off waivers from the Seattle Mariners, putting their 40-man roster at 32 players. The deadline for setting teams' 40-man rosters is at midnight Friday. The Red Sox aren't expected to make any more additions before the deadline.

Manuel, 26, made his Major League debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2009, tossing 4.1 innings of scoreless relief over three games.  He began the season with Cincinnati’s Triple-A Louisville affiliate, going 3-4 with 10 saves and a 2.70 ERA (14 ER/46.2 IP) in 36 relief outings over two stints with the Bats.  Manuel was traded to Seattle on July 29 in exchange for outfielder Wladimir Balentien and finished the season with Triple-A Tacoma, going 1-1 with four saves and a 3.32 ERA (7 ER/19.0 IP) in 15 appearances.  His .207 combined opponent batting average between Louisville and Tacoma was eighth-best among all Triple-A relievers.

Originally signed by the New York Mets as a non-drafted free agent on June 17, 2005, Manuel has combined for a 24-17 record with 19 saves and a 2.88 ERA (118 ER/368.1 IP) in 169 minor league games (23 starts) over five seasons in the Mets, Reds and Mariners systems.  The right-hander has compiled 339 strikeouts compared to 66 walks.

Jets Injury Report
Did Not Participate
LB Vernon Gholston (hamstring) OUT

Limited Participation
S Jim Leonhard (thumb) Questionable

Full Participation
WR Brad Smith (quadricep) Probable
DE Shaun Ellis (knee) Probable
LB Bryan Thomas (toe) Probable

Patriots Injury Report
Did Not Participate
RB Fred Taylor (ankle) OUT
G Stephen Neal (head) Questionable
LB Rob Ninkovich (knee) Questionable

Limited Participation
LB Tully Banta-Cain (groin) Questionable
DE Jarvis Green (knee) Questionable
WR Sam Aiken (hip) Questionable
LB Eric Alexander (groin) Questionable
TE Chris Baker (shoulder) Questionable
NT Ron Brace (ankle) Questionable
WR Julian Edelman (forearm) Questionable
C Dan Koppen (knee) Questionable
T Matt Might (knee) Questionable
RB Sammy Morris (knee) Questionable
DE Ty Warren (ankle) Questionable

Full Participation
QB Tom Brady (right shoulder) Probable
CB Shawn Springs (knee) Probable
TE Benjamin Watson (back) Probable

Two officials of the Czech Republic Olympic team attended Monday's game at the TD Garden for the purpose of watching Bruins' forward David Krejci. The officials, who will be evaluating NHL players for the next few weeks, were impressed with Krejci as they decide upon the player's possible participation in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. "He's playing well, so we're impressed," one team official said. The Olympics are scheduled to begin Feb. 12. For more Bruins coverage, including analysis from the B's win Thursday night, click here.

FOXBORO  --  After practicing with the team on Friday, running back Sammy Morris said he will know on Sunday whether he is strong enough to return for the first time since injuring his knee in the snow on Oct. 18 against the Titans. "I feel good," Morris said. "Sore, but I feel good." Asked if that means he could be back after missing the last three games, Morris said, "I don't know. We'll see Sunday. We're kind of playing it day-by-day." For more, visit the football blog It Is What It Is. 

Angels' owner Arte Moreno said in a Los Angeles Times' story that his team is interested in free agent outfielder Jason Bay because in part because of what Moreno describes as "great bat and great makeup". In the same story the owner insists that the Angels won't pursue the services of free agent outfielder Matt Holliday. "He is not going to be an Angel," Moreno said. "We are not looking at Holliday at all." For more Hot Stove news see the Full Count Blog.

FOXBORO --  Jarvis Green and Tully Banta-Cain returned to practice on Friday as the Patriots held their workout inside Gillette Stadium in preparation for the New York Jets this Sunday in Foxboro. Jarvis Green has missed the last two games with a knee scope while Banta-Cain injured his groin in Sunday's loss to the Colts. The only three missing from practice were Fred Taylor, Rob Ninkovich and Stephen Neal. For more, visit the football blog It Is What It Is. 

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter made his weekly appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Friday morning. Schefter weighed in on the fourth-and-2 controversy and threw his support behind Patriots coach Bill Belichick's decision to go for it Sunday night against the Colts. Said Schefter: "Number 1, I think it was the right call. Number 2, I think they got a bad spot. Number 3, If you're going to tell me that Tom Brady needs two yards to win a game and keep the ball away from Peyton Manning, that's what I'm going to do."

Looking ahead to Sunday's rematch with the Jets, Schefter implied that the Patriots would make it a long day for the visitors. "I couldn't think of a worse set of circumstances — short of maybe this being the game after the Jets turned in the Patriots on Spygate — for the Jets to come into Foxboro to play. This is, to me, the perfect storm of factors."

Touching on news from around the league, Schefter said he still considers Minnesota the best team in the NFL, and he predicts the "terrible" Raiders will upset the Bengals this week. "I think Cincinnati, in this particular case, everybody's now telling them how good they are — and they are a good team. They're probably not going to have Cedric Benson. And the Raiders are changing quarterbacks. And the Bengals are going out West. I just think that's going to be a tough game for Cincinnati to win."

To hear the interview, click on the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page. Read the transcript later this morning on our It Is What It Is blog.

Get up to date on all the news of the day, plus videos — including a clip of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi giving a speech with a translation that implies he's upset about the Chicago Bears — quote of the day, trivia and more at Friday's Morning Mashup.

Patriots tight end Ben Watson made his weekly appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Friday morning. Watson talked about coach Bill Belichick's style of dealing with the team, especially after a tough loss such as Sunday's night's in Indianapolis. Said Watson: "The coach is the leader of the team, first and foremost. The team kind of takes on his personality. In order to bounce back from a big loss ... a lot of that falls on the coach."

Watson said Belichick uses both positive and negative reinforcement. "He definitely criticizes, but he definitely praises when praise is due," Watson said. "The one thing I can say about him is he's real in every situation. If you're doing a good job as a team, as an individual, he's going to tell you. If you're doing a bad job, he's going to tell you. You know that he's going to coach you for the betterment of the team. His main goal is the improve the football team."

Watson was asked about his reaction when he found out the team was going to attempt to get a first down on fourth-and-2. "Honestly, in a game, you're in the flow and you do what's called," he said. "When it's fourth down, you automatically think you'll punt no matter when or where it is on fourth down ... but there's been times when we've gone for it. So, I don't rush to any type of judgment. ... During the game, you're so focused and so in the flow that a lot of things you just go on auto pilot and just do."

To hear the interview, click on the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page.

WALTHAM -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers put his team through another intense practice on Thursday and then came out and professed Friday's opponent, defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando, is still the team to beat in the East. "It'd be nice to get to play them," Rivers said of their showdown at TD Garden. "They're the team everyone is chasing in the East. They won the championship of the East last year. As far as we're concerned, they're the favorite, Cleveland's the second favorite and we're the third, based on the results of last year. It'll be good to see where we're at." Both teams are 9-3, behind Atlanta in the Eastern Conference. For much more, visit the Green Street blog.

Though the Bruins allowed a game-tying goal with less than one minute remaining in regulation, the B's rebounded to claim a 4-3 win in Atlanta when Patrice Bergeron scored a goal on his team's second attempt of the shootout.

The Bruins held a 3-2 lead with less than one minute left in the third period on the strength of a pair of goals by Michael Ryder (with Dennis Wideman assisting on both). But Maxim Afinogenov of the Thrashers beat B's goalie Tuukka Rask at the 19:18 mark to tie the contest and send it into overtime. But Rask rebounded to stop all three shots he faced in overtime, and three more in the shootout, sending the B's to a victory in the first contest of their four-game road swing.

For a recap, click here.

Speaking at an event to honor Red Sox principal owner John Henry, who received the Woodrow Wilson Award for corporate citizenship, team president/CEO Larry Lucchino expressed his organization's desire to re-sign Jason Bay. "Very much so," Lucchino said when asked if the Red Sox wanted the outfielder back. "We'd love to have him back. He's in many ways the personification of a player we want here." The Red Sox' exclusive period to negotiate with Bay runs out at midnight Thursday.

 Milan Lucic has been listed on the Bruins roster for tonight’s contest in Atlanta. Lucic will be seeing his first game action since breaking his right index finger in a game in Dallas on October 16. The Bruins will be looking to end a three-game losing streak. Atlanta has won four in a row. 

Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo weighed in on a couple of topics with reporters today in the locker room, including Tedy Bruschi's comments that New England's decision to go for it on fourth down late in Sunday's game against the Colts was a slight to the Patriots defense. "I have the ultimate respect for Tedy and everything he's done for this organization, but he's not in this locker room at this point in time so he doesn't know the feeling that this defense or this team has," Mayo said. "We still have our confidence, we still have our swagger and we're gonna go out Sunday and show ... the media, I guess." For more Patriots news, check out our football blog, It Is What It Is.

Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling appeared on The Big Show on Thursday afternoon to discuss Jason Bay, Adrian Gonzalez and Alex Gonzalez, among other topics. Schilling suggested that the Sox' efforts should be focused on re-signing Bay and acquiring Roy Halladay in a trade with the Blue Jays.

Schilling suggested that Bay represents the best available position player on the market, both because the Sox need to address their opening in left field, and because Bay has demonstrated his ability to succeed in Boston and the American League. By contrast, Schilling suggested, Matt Holliday has not proven that he could succeed in the AL or in such a highly scrutinized environment.

"If I’m going to go out and spend the years and the money that we’re talking about spending, I don’t want to have any questions," Schilling said. "At the end of the day, I’m looking at a guy who I know is playing in this market, who can perform in October, who at the end of the season is going to be 30 [homers] and 110 [RBI]."

Asked where he imagined Bay would land this offseason, Schilling emphasized that the Sox should never count out the Yankees, especially after last year's Mark Teixeira sweepstakes.

"It's always the years," Schilling said. "They seem to be always OK with going one more year."

For highlights of the interview, visit the 38 Pitches Blog. To hear the interview, visit the Big Show audio on demand page.

Jets Injury Report
Did Not Participate
LB Vernon Gholston (hamstring)
S Jim Leonhard (thumb)

Limited Participation
DE Shaun Ellis (knee)
WR Brad Smith (quadricep)

Full Participation
LB Bryan Thomas (toe)