Rare rainout in Anaheim forces doubleheader
Sunday's game is postponed after field deemed unplayable
ANAHEIM -- Since he started his career as a 21-year-old catcher with the Dodgers in 1980, Angels manager Mike Scioscia can't even remember it ever raining in Southern California in July. But rain fell on Angel Stadium for a second straight day Sunday, and the Angels were rained out at home for the first time in 20 years -- and for the first time ever in July.
The official announcement came around 7:30 p.m. PT, after an approximate 2 1/2-hour delay, that the Angels' game against the Red Sox had been postponed. The first rainout at Angel Stadium since June 16, 1995, against the White Sox, snapped a streak of 1,609 consecutive home games for the Angels without a rainout.
The Angels will play a split-admission doubleheader against Boston Monday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Admission for Sunday's rainout will be honored for the 2 p.m. game.
"Unfortunately, you never really know how your drainage system works until you get enough water," Scioscia said. "There is so much standing water in that outfield, it has nowhere to go. It will be like that all night tonight and probably tomorrow morning. The field was unplayable, with no way to remedy it."
Hector Santiago, who was scheduled to start Sunday's game, will pitch the first game of the doubleheader. Andrew Heaney, who was slated to pitch Monday, will pitch the nightcap.
The rainout will necessitate a sixth starter for the Angels on Friday because of Santiago being pushed back a day. Scioscia said the team had "some options," but one of them, Jered Weaver, might not be ready to come off the disabled list by then.
"As far as anything with Jered, he needs to go through some steps," Scioscia said. "We're going to leave everything open, but we're not going to accelerate anything that would put somebody at risk."
Monday will be the first doubleheader at Angel Stadium since Sept. 6, 2003, against the Royals. That was for a makeup of a rainout in Kansas City. The last doubleheader because of a rainout in Anaheim was Aug. 5, 1988, against the White Sox.
The Angels have now had 16 rainouts at home in franchise history; the last 11 at Angel Stadium, the first five at Dodger Stadium. The first-ever Angels home rainout was on April 14, 1963, at Dodger Stadium, against the White Sox on Easter Sunday.
"I'm not a landscaper, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night," Scioscia joked after the game was postponed. "I don't think [the drainage system's] ever been tested like this. It's a lot of rain. I don't think there's anything clogged. It's just saturated."