By ROGER MILLS and MARC TOPKIN
Published May 25, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - Often all it takes is one player to get hot for everyone else in the clubhouse to catch fire.
Well, outfielder Jose Cruz is steaming.
A player who once couldn't hit now can't miss, and the rest of the Devil Rays are following suit.
Major League Baseball has noticed, naming Cruz the American League player of the week Monday for May 17-23.
During that six-game stretch, Cruz led the majors with a .609 on-base percentage. He had an AL-leading 1.063 slugging percentage, hit .438 (7-for-16) with six runs scored, 17 total bases, four doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs.
Cruz, 30, is the seventh Rays player to win the award and the first since Greg Vaughn in 2001. Not surprisingly, a blistering bat has brought a few victories. Through the Rays' four-game winning streak, Cruz was 9-for-17 with five runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs.
Not bad for a player who was 0-for-37 earlier this season.
"If you had asked me about (my hot streak) one week ago or two weeks ago, I would have laughed," said Cruz, who won the award for the third time in his eight-year career.
Cruz's 4-for-4 Friday against Cleveland helped the Rays pull off their first back-to-back wins of the season. The next night he gave pitcher Doug Waechter a comfortable cushion with a three-run homer in the first inning.
"Jose is obviously hitting real well," said Waechter, who won his second game of the season thanks to Cruz's home run.
The Rays suddenly have come alive and if it's due to Cruz, then manager Lou Piniella doesn't want anything to change.
"Let's hope he continues to see it and continues to hit it hard," Piniella said.
Cruz said the hitting and winning are filtering throughout the clubhouse.
"Definitely, the product of having success is that it creates confidence," Cruz said. "And we're getting that success and those hits and we're picking each other up when we need to."
DEFENSE, DEFENSE: The bullpen and the hitting have been outstanding, but the Rays probably would not have a four-game winning streak without solid defense.
Through the streak, the Rays have benefited from strong plays in the outfield and a few timely flashes of great glove work.
Leading 4-3 in the seventh inning Saturday, the Rays were in trouble after the Indians opened with back-to-back singles from Alex Escobar and Matt Lawton. But reliever Jorge Sosa induced Omar Vizquel into a double play, which required a perfect throw from shortstop Julio Lugo to complete the play.
"Lugo made a heck of a throw to first," Piniella said. "He had something on it."
In the ninth, first baseman Tino Martinez snared what would have been a leadoff hit from Victor Martinez, squashing any chance of a rally. Martinez also had a similar play earlier in the game.
"It's real uplifting when you give up what you think is a hit and you see a veteran like Tino grab it right out of the air," Waechter said.
"It really picks you up sometimes."
ARMS ON DECK: Piniella hasn't had to worry late in the game because the bullpen has delivered of late. But getting there has been cause for concern.
Right-hander Victor Zambrano (3-4, 6.18 ERA) is scheduled to pitch tonight and he hasn't exactly been on top of his game.
Zambrano has been walking batters at an alarming rate. In his past two starts he has allowed 16 walks and thrown 204 pitches in six innings.
"Obviously, it can't continue like this," Piniella said. "It just can't.
"Big-league pitchers have to throw the ball over the plate with a lot more consistency than that."
ODDS AND ENDS: The Rays have not announced a starter for Thursday's game. It would be Paul Abbott's turn but he has been struggling, so Jason Standridge may get the start. ... The Rays are continuing to evaluate the condition of infielder Damian Rolls, who had to leave Sunday's game after a violent outfield collision with Cruz.
