Piniella Declares Start Of Streak

Once Lou Piniella read that his Mariners had lost 16 of 18 games played under him in Tiger Stadium, he was naturally curious.

“I wondered how the hell that was possible,” he said Thursday.

So he asked Tim Hevley, the assistant director of public relations, to do a little homework. Precisely what Mariners pitchers had the Tigers beaten during the past three-plus seasons?

As it turned out, almost all of them.

“They’ve beaten our best,” Piniella said. “That’s why it was so nice seeing Randy (Johnson) get ‘em today.”

The “honor roll” of Mariners pitchers who were been beaten during Detroit’s 16-2 run at Tigers Stadium includes most every starter and closer the team has had since the Piniella Era began in 1993:

Johnson (three times), Mike Hampton, Norm Charlton, Erik Hanson, Tim Leary, Chris Bosio (twice), Jim Converse, Bobby Ayala (twice), Rafael Carmona (twice), Bob Wolcott and Edwin Hurtado. “As far as I’m concerned, we just started a new streak,” Piniella said. “We’re 1-0 here now.”

Chris Bosio returned from a rehabilitation assignment and had a scouting report on Seattle’s first-round draft pick last season, outfielder Jose Cruz Jr.

“He looks a little too good for Class A ball,” Bosio said. “They won’t throw him a fastball, and he’s killing breaking pitches, off-speed pitches. He’s playing great in the outfield, too.”