Syracuse and Lansing did not play, Dunedin and Auburn wished they didn't and Pulaski puts up an 8-spot to start 2006. New Hampshire scored two runs off Jesus Colome, but he still got credit for the win. You'll see how if you read on.

Okay, we've gone enough days without a Bengie Molina photo.  So here's the man himself, telling the rest of the guys out there on the field what to do next:

Auburn had their first game of the season last night taking down the Muckdogs.  Overall, the affiliates were 2-2 on the night.

Neither Toronto nor Atlanta had won an interleague game this season prior to last night, and in the late innings both teams looked eager to go to 0 – 7.

So remember that picture from last week of Aaron Hill sliding into second?

This is the next frame in the sequence, with Hill on the bag and Omar Infante catching the late throw:

According to a press release the Jays have come to terms with top picks Travis Snider and Brandon Magee.

Pitchers are a different breed. They all strive for that perfect balance between power, command, and composure under pressure, all without injuring their arm. In the striving, a good number of them teeter on the edge of sanity. Many others, while sane, are just a little out there. A. J. Burnett is an upstanding member of the pitching fraternity in the latter group, with iconoclast credentials ranging from bats engraved with "Marilyn Manson" to nipple rings. Today we give him the Hall Watch treatment. He's far from a Hall of Famer, but with pitchers one never knows.

Syracuse collects the only win of 3 games played by the Toronto farm.

Okay, there's one good thing about interleague play. It lets me write "National League" in a timely fashion. As always, the Trivia Challenge rules are simple: a question is asked and once someone's answer is confirmed (by someone else) to be correct, they have the right to ask the next question.

There's only one additional request: all questions must be NL-based in some way. Let's get started...

Division Leaders at the Halfway Point:
Alomar: Edmonton Decepticons (80-47-5, one game ahead of the Gashouse Gorillas)
Barfield: Magic 9 (88-35-9, 6.5 games up on the 1-Tool Wonders
Carter: Sexy Underpants (88-36-8, 8.5 games ahead of the Wedding Singers)

A brief history of the BBFL at midseason:

When did Vernon Wells start using a Sam Bat?  It must've been some time between May 23rd (the last time I photographed the Jays prior to last Sunday's Tigers game) and June 11th.

Today's photograph is of Vernon laying off of a pitch and exhaling that gigantic breath he takes in before he swings:

There was, I'm fairly sure, weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth...

I never realized how much these reports rely on boxscores until I noticed who apparently started for Syracuse yesterday. Then I saw who finished the game for New Hampshire. Needless to say, they were names I didn't expect to see.

I'm taking advantage of this off-day to share some non-Jays photographs with you.  Here are Jim Leyland and Ivan Rodriguez on the mound, chatting while they wait for Joel Zumaya to show up:

Josh Towers has been recalled to start Tuesday's game against Atlanta, after 4 Towers' classic starts in Syracuse. Vinny Chulk was sent down to Syracuse again to make room for Towers. It is easy to understand why Towers has been recalled, but Chulk has pitched very well since returning and his demotion is a mystery. Thanks to Andrewkw for the tip.