Angels-A's waiting out rain again

Less than an hour before the scheduled first pitch for Tuesday's series finale between the Angels and Oakland Athletics the tarp was still on the field. And the rain, which had stayed away most of the afternoon, began falling more heavily.

The Angels and A's waited out a 85-minute delay Monday before getting started, slogging through 10 innings of rain before Oakland rallied to win, 5-4.

Three games have already been rained out around the major leagues Tuesday. And it's hard to say how long the teams will wait before deciding what to do with this one. The Angels come back to Oakland two more times this season, which would give them a chance to make up a rainout. Plus they're scheduled to fly to Seattle Tuesday night to begin a two-game series with the Mariners on Wednesday.

The Angels have played through rain and inclement weather on every roadtrip this season although they are the only team in the American League West who have yet to be rained out.

If they do play Tuesday, here are the lineups the teams would use (click on thread to see lineups):

Angels-A's game delayed by rain in Oakland

The start of Monday's game between the Angels and Oakland Athletics has been delayed at least 30 minutes because of rain. The new start time is 7:35 p.m.

A steady rain, heavy at times, began failling Monday afternoon. Some forecasts call for the rain to increase in intensity Monday night but officials are hopeful they'll be able to get the game in.

Three games were rained out around the major leagues Sunday, bringing to 25 the number of games postponed by weather in the first seven weeks of the season. That's four more than were rained out all last season.

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Video: Angels lose to Rangers, 5-4

--Kevin Baxter, reporting from Oakland

Photo: A tarp covers the infield at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum before Monday's game between the Angels and A's. Credit: Jason O. Watson / US Presswire

For the record: A photo previously accompanying this post was actually the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Angels' Pineiro chases 100th win in Oakland

It's customary for the pregame music in most baseball clubhouses to be chosen by that night's starting pitcher. Which means the Angels' clubhouse will be pulsating to salsa and merengue Monday since Puerto Rican Joel Pineiro will be on the mound in Oakland for the first game of a two-game set.

Pineiro, unbeaten in two decisions with a 1.33 earned-run average this spring, will not only be trying keep his perfect record intact but he'll be going for his 100th career win as well. Pineiro is more familiar with the A's than any other opponent, having made 26 appearances and 21 starts against them -- the most against any team. But he's had just limited success, going 9-8 with a 4.13 ERA.

It was drizzling in Oakland on Monday afternoon and the field was covered with a gray tarp but the forecast isn't calling for heavy rain. But it is calling for consistent rain throughout the two-game series, one that could reorder the American League West standings.

The Angels and Athletics are both 5-5 over their last 10 games, leaving the Angels with a half-game lead over the Texas Rangers and a 1 1/2-game advantage over the A's.

The Angels come into the series with four players -- Erick Aybar, Alberto Callaspo, Maicer Izturis and Howie Kendrick -- hitting better than .300, the most on any one team in the majors. Kendrick is hitting .368 with 16 runs in his last 19 games while Izturis is hitting .373 on the road. Aybar is riding a career-high 13-game hitting streak, hitting .357 in his last 23 games while Callaspo is hitting .421 with 10 RBIs in his last 10 games.

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Video: Angels lose to Rangers, 5-4

-- Kevin Baxter in Oakland

Photo: Angels pitcher Joel Pineiro. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Japanese baseball players in U.S. try to contact friends, family after deadly earthquake

Ripples from the earthquake that devastated parts of Japan were being felt as far away as Arizona and Florida on Friday as Japanese players tried, sometimes in vain, to reach friends and family members.

The quake, the largest recorded temblor to strike Japan and the fifth-largest in history, caused power failures and fires, shuttered airports and paralyzed transit systems, killing hundreds and setting off a massive tsunami.

Former Dodgers pitcher Takashi Saito took an indefinite leave from the Milwaukee Brewers' facility in Phoenix after being unable to contact his parents. Saito was born and attended college in the northern city of Sendai, home to 1 million people. The city, on Japan's northeast coast, was the closest population center to the epicenter of the 8.9-magnitude quake. And though Saito has been in contact with his wife, Yukiko, and three daughters, he has been unable to reach his parents, team officials said.

Kei Igawa, in minor league camp with the Yankees in Tampa, Fla., also left the team after failing to get information about his family.

Igawa's family lives in Ibaraki, which was also hit hard.

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and Boston Red Sox pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima also spent much of Friday trying unsuccessful to get through to their relatives although they said they believed their families were safe. Matsuzaka said he made contact with friends in Japan through e-mail but not by phone.

"Cellphones and power are down. There are 4 million people without power in Tokyo," Suzuki told reporters at the Mariners' camp outside Phoenix. "I have not gotten ahold of my family yet."