Seattle Cruzes Past Detroit Jose Cruz Jr. Knocks Two Over The Wall To Lead Mariners To 6-3 Victory Over Tigers

Jose Cruz Jr., spending his first week in the big leagues as the Seattle Mariners new left fielder, did something Friday night that none of his teammates have been able to do over the past two seasons.

He solved the mystery of Detroit Tigers starter Omar Olivares.

Olivares had never lost to Seattle prior to Friday at Tiger Stadium, where Cruz rocked him for a pair of two-run home runs in a 6-3 Mariners victory in front of 25,547.

“That’s it, show him a new wrinkle right?” manager Lou Piniella said. “All of a sudden we’ve got a threesome out in the outfield that can hit the seats. I don’t want Cruz swinging for home runs, but he’s a strong young man.”

Along with solving Olivares, it is looking more and more like Cruz has solved Seattle’s history of merry-go-round left fielders. The previous left fielders used by Seattle this season - Rich Amaral, Rob Ducey and Lee Tinsley - combined to hit one home run in 52 games. Cruz now has three in six games.

Bobby Ayala closed out a one-mistake start from Derek Lowe as Lowe picked up his first major league victory in front of a couple hundred of his family and friends from nearby Dearborn.

“It’s a great feeling to win,” said Lowe, who took a game ball and the lineup card home to a party with friends and relatives. “I’m really happy for everyone who got to come out to the game. A lot of my high school friends were sitting behind home plate. They had signs and were yelling.”

Lowe left 71 passes for friends and family.

“I think that’s a record,” Piniella said.

A month ago, Cruz and Lowe were at Class AAA Tacoma and the Mariners were starting a small skid that dropped them into third place in the American League West Division.

“A team needs that type of pick up and contributions,” Piniella said. “We’re starting to get it. It’s a good feeling.”

Cruz and Lowe got to sit on the bench late in the game and discuss the transformation to big-league life.

“That’s just a credit to our minor-league system to be able to dip down into AAA and get players that are going to contribute,” Lowe said.

Cruz was glad he and his former teammate now were combining to help Seattle, and not the Rainiers.

“Way different scenarios than the last time we got to see each other,” Cruz said.

This time, the scenario has Seattle on a season-high five-game winning streak.

And for Lowe, the first victory in what looks like a promising future.

“It’s fitting that Derek Lowe gets his first win against his hometown team,” Piniella said. “(Curtis) Pride touched him up for a three-run home run and other than that he threw a nice ballgame. We got what we wanted out of Derek.”

Lowe started the sixth inning with a 6-3 lead, but Piniella went to Greg McCarthy after Lowe got slugger Tony Clark to fly out.

Lowe wasn’t exactly tired, but understood the move considering the heart of the Tigers order was seeing Lowe for the third time.

“He was going to face a few pretty tough hitters,” Piniella said. “Why force the issue?”

Lowe was staked to a 2-0 lead when Cruz drove an Olivares pitch just over the fence in right-center.

After a Joey Cora double and singles by Alex Rodriguez and Edgar Martinez scored two more runs in the third, Cruz finished the scoring with a line drive into the lower deck in right field, bringing home Paul Sorrento.

“I’m just out here real focused on what I want to do,” said Cruz, who got a congratulatory slap on the head and “Way to go” from Ken Griffey. “It’s important to just make a good first impression with everybody. I’m just enjoying where I’m at, getting used to all the hoopla that goes with the big leagues. It’s early. I’m not trying to get too high or too low.”

Cruz also had a single to raise his average to .364.

As for figuring out Olivares, who was 3-0 against Seattle and just beat the Mariners May 31: “I faced him a couple times,” Cruz said. “I guess today he just got a couple pitches up and we didn’t miss them.”