ARLINGTON, Texas -- Instead of getting his shot at becoming

the first nine-game winner in the major leagues, Jon Garland didn't

even throw a pitch Saturday.

Garland got an unexpected day off when Chicago's game at Texas

was postponed by rain.

"I never did anything," said Garland, whose first loss came

Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels. "It's one thing if

you warm up and get fired up, but I never even sniffed the

bullpen."

Instead, Garland (8-1) had his start pushed back to Sunday, when

he will pitch the series finale against Chan Ho Park (4-1), who has

already matched his victory total of last season. It is the same

pitching matchup that was set Saturday.

Just before the game was called after a delay of 2 hours, 45

minutes, Park came out in front of the dugout during a drizzle. He

was tossing the ball with a bullpen catcher when the crowd was

advised that the game was being postponed.

"Whatever he's been doing, keep doing it," manager Buck

Showalter said of Park, 3-0 in his last six starts -- all Rangers

victories.

The postponed game won't be made up until the White Sox return

Aug. 29-31 for their only other trip to Texas.

Chicago has the best record in the major leagues at 33-16. The

Rangers have won seven straight games, the longest current streak

in the majors.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he would just push his

starting rotation back a day. That could benefit the Rangers, even

though they won't miss Garland.

Garland had won 10 straight, including his first eight starts of

this season, before allowing three runs over seven innings in

Chicago's 4-0 loss to Los Angeles. He had consecutive shutouts

during his streak against Oakland and Detroit, and only once this

season has allowed more than three runs.

Instead of pitching as scheduled in Texas, Mark Buehrle (7-1)

will start Monday against the Angels, the team with which the

Rangers were tied for first in the AL West.

"It's not going to affect me," Buehrle said. "Of course, if I

pitch like crap the next time, then I can blame it on the rain."

The postponement forced Showalter to juggle his starting

rotation for next week, after the Rangers have a day off Monday. He

wants Kenny Rogers (6-2), the 40-year-old left-hander who has won

six straight starts, to pitch on his normal fifth day.

Ryan Drese (4-4), who had been scheduled to start Sunday, will

be pushed back to Wednesday instead. That will allow Rogers to

pitch Tuesday as scheduled, while also pushing Chris Young (5-2)

back a day to Thursday.