ARLINGTON, TEXAS That dark cloud finds Pirates again
The Bucs were postponed for the eighth time this season, the most since 1983.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates must think a dark cloud follows them everywhere.
The Pirates and Texas Rangers were rained out for the second day in a row Wednesday night. It was the eighth postponement of the season for Pittsburgh, its most since it also had eight in 1983.
This was just the third June rain out in Arlington the past 11 seasons.
"This can be good for us," Pittsburgh's Daryle Ward said. "But we need to get going and start getting these games in."
Both games will be made up as part of a doubleheader today, which was supposed to be a day off for both teams.
Four doubleheaders left
The Pirates have played three doubleheaders already this season and still have four left.
"There's nothing we can do about it," manager Lloyd McClendon said.
The Rangers have tried to stay busy with workouts and batting practice indoors.
"Guys are getting it going and we are trying to keep away from shutting down," Texas manager Buck Showalter said.
The Rangers, who had only one game postponed before this week, swept the Boston Red Sox on May 1 in their only doubleheader this year.
This will be the first time the Rangers have played two doubleheaders at home in a season since 1993.
The rest might actually come at a good time for the Pirates. They have lost eight of nine games and have not scored more than five runs in a game since beating the Chicago Cubs on May 29.
Switched hotels
To make things worse, the Pirates switched hotels Wednesday because the place they were staying in was already booked for that night, when they were scheduled to fly to Oakland for their next series.
"We can go back, relax and get a little rest," Ward said. "It can't hurt if we get charged up for what's ahead of us."
Oliver Perez (3-3) and Texas' Joaquin Benoit (2-2), the scheduled starters Tuesday, will pitch in the first game of the doubleheader today. Pittsburgh's Josh Fogg (3-4) and Kenny Rogers (8-2) will go in the second game.
Wednesday night's game was called five minutes before it was scheduled to begin.
The Rangers beat Pittsburgh on Monday night in the first inter-league game of the season.
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