You'll find all of the wins up top in a 3-2 night for the U.S. affiliates.  The Dominican Jays were 1-0.

Luis Rivera is the new manager of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.  Previously Rivera was a utilty infielder who totalled 2215 major league at-bats over eleven seasons from 1986 - 1998.  Rivera was a coach in the Cleveland Indians minor and major league systems until the end of last season.  I spoke with Rivera last weekend when the Fisher Cats were in Erie.  Here is the transcript of the conversation.

As has so often been the case this year.

Two of the affiliates had the night off, and two took the night off. Also: an in-depth look at the Dunedin roster.

... the season Alex Rios is having in Chicago? Hitting third for the White Sox, he's batting .317 and currently on pace to finish with 36 home runs and 52 steals. The OPS is .951 while the K/BB ratio is a respectable 1.37. Them's MVP-caliber numbers, folks!

The only downside is the lack of RBI production -- his pace is for "just" 85, which is currently third on team, but he is leading the squad in runs scored.

I had no idea. Anyone out there, you know, care?

What a difference a day makes for Adam Loewen.

Ted Lilly, he of the ex-Jay status, has just been pulled from his start for the Cubs against the cross-town interleague rival ChiSox after eight wonderful innings. Lilly took a no-hitter into the ninth, looking to be the fourth pitcher (and second ex-Jay) this season to toss a no-no, but leading off the ninth, pinch-hitter Juan Pierre lined a clean single up the middle.

The game, at this writing, is 1-0 Cubs. And it's raining, hard, but they're trying to finish the game ...

And now it's final. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Adam Loewen single-handedly beat up on Erie Saturday.  Loewen was 5-5 with three doubles and a home run leading New Hampshire to an 11-5 win.  Lansing had a come from behind victory with Brad Glenn hitting a home run and stealing home.  Two pitchers coming off injuries started those games, Bobby Bell and Egan Smith.

Las Vegas were blown out 10-1 although JP Arencibia hit his 13th home run.

Las Vegas were losing to Colorado Springs but they scored three runs off Huston Street and four off Juan Rincon to get the win.  New Hampshire had excellent pitching by Ronald Uviedo, BJ LaMura and Tim Collins to shut out Erie.  An Eric Thames home run in the first was all the scoring they needed.  Ryan Tepera pitched seven innings and didn't give up an earned run as Lansing won.  Dunedin are in their all star break.

Bauxite Anders' most recent Minor League Update (Groundouts, Groundouts, Everywhere) leads off with the exploits of Baby Jay hurlers Lance Broadway and Kyle Drabek. Those are two given first names you didn't hear a lot in Major League Baseball's earlier days, a time stuffed with guys named George and Joe and Honus and monikers of that ilk.

Now quick, though, consider that MLB of more recent vintage has featured 20 players with the given first or middle name "Kyle" and another 16 named "Lance" and that's decently even odds, so make your guess ... sure, we can't fill out a full 25-man roster for either, but which name, Lance or Kyle, will fill out a lineup card better?

Let's find out ...

The farm went 4-1 and Lance Broadway and Kyle Drabek's 3/1 GB/FB ratio were the worst of the 4 starters.

Time for some video and pictures of three more Lansing hitters.  Today's subjects are Brad Glenn; AJ Jimenez; and Balbino Fuenmayor.

There was one victory in three games on the farm, as Las Vegas had the day off. Dunedin won a one-run game, while Lansing lost in extra innings on an error. Meanwhile, New Hampshire was shut out by an unlikely source.

Last week it looked like the Jays could give as good as they got against the big boys of the AL East.  The same cannot be said so far this week after another one-sided defeat to the Rays, this time 10-1.

Clayton McCullough is manager of the Dunedin Jays, that is your first place Dunedin Jays.  McCullough was manager of the Lansing Lugnuts in 2008 and 2009.  Recently I spoke with McCullough over the phone from Florida to check on some of his players.