ARLINGTON, Texas - So far, the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't enjoying their first visit with the Texas Rangers. And it just got longer.

After losing the series opener 6-5 in 10 innings on two wind-aided hits, the Pirates watched it rain all day Tuesday before their game against Texas was finally called 45 minutes before its scheduled start.

"We're banged up a little bit, so we can certainly use the rest," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. "But once you're here, you'd like to play."

The game will be made up Thursday night, which was a scheduled off day for both teams. The two teams weren't scheduled to play again after this three-game series.

"I'd like to play two (today), but it's not our choice," McClendon said.

To make things worse, the Pirates will have to switch hotels today because the place they are staying is already booked for that night, when they were scheduled to fly to Oakland for their next series.

It was the seventh Pirates' game postponed by weather, the most since they had also had seven in 1984. They still have to make up three games.

Rain started overnight and continued throughout the day. The tarp was never removed from the infield, though some players both teams tossed balls in the outfield before the game was called.

The Rangers were postponed just once before this year, an April 30 game against Boston that was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader the next day. Texas swept that doubleheader and the three-game series.

Oliver Perez (3-3) and Texas' Joaquin Benoit (2-2), the scheduled starters for Tuesday, are to pitch today. Pittsburgh's Josh Fogg (3-4) and Kenny Rogers (8-2) are to throw Thursday.

The Rangers beat Pittsburgh Monday night in the first interleague game of the season. The Pirates have never lost to Texas, having been swept in a three-game series at home two years ago.

Laynce Nix and Hank Blalock both had looping singles to center in the 10th inning. Both hits were knocked down by winds gusting near 25 mph and dropped several feet in front of charging outfielder Tike Redman.

The wind played havoc on several balls, including a popup caught by Texas catcher Rod Barajas in the top of the 10th.

First baseman Mark Teixeira immediately took a step back toward the outfield when Jose Castillo hit the ball. But the ball started drifting back toward home plate.

"I gave up on it. I knew it was toward first base and put my head down," Barajas said.

But he kept his eye on Teixeira, and noticed the first baseman scrambling back toward him.

"The ball was three to four feet from me, and I had to catch it," he said.

Manager Buck Showalter called it the best play of the season.

Barajas became the everyday catcher after rookie Gerald Laird broke his thumb May 20. He has started 12 of the last 15 games, and besides his standout play behind the plate, he has hit .333 over his last 18 games with two game-winning home runs.

"When he's gotten an opportunity, he's been pretty impressive," said Showalter, who also managed Barajas in Arizona. "Rod's a tough guy, he's a smart guy."