Angels Caught in Rain : Baseball: Weather and curfew leave them tied with Rangers after eight innings, 5-5.

Angel first baseman Eduardo Perez sat in the clubhouse Tuesday night during the 2-hour, 48-minute rain delay, and couldn’t have cared less if the game was going to be resumed.

He would not be playing anyway against the Texas Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington, and he will not be playing today when the suspended game resumes in the ninth inning with the score tied at 5-5. The game will be played at 4:30 p.m. PDT, one hour before the scheduled third game of the series.

Tuesday’s game, which resumed at 11:02 p.m., was suspended because of American League rules that prohibit any inning starting after 1 a.m.

Perez and outfielder Dwight Smith were the only position players not used Tuesday, but if Perez’s fears are correct, it might be weeks before he plays again.

Saying it’s senseless continuing this way, Perez expects to be placed on the 15-day disabled list and replaced by first baseman J.T. Snow.

Dr. Lewis Yocum is scheduled to examine Perez’s left wrist today to determine if surgery is necessary, but the Angels already have decided he will be placed on the disabled list, retroactive to May 5.

“I’m not doing anyone any good right now,” Perez said. “I just can’t do anything with this hand. It hurts to catch the ball. It hurts to hit the ball.

“I just want to get healthy again so I don’t waste this whole season.”

Perez will undergo an arthrogram today to determine the severity of the ligament sprain and cartilage tear in his left wrist, but he fears that he could be sidelined the rest of this month.

“I’m just looking forward to getting healthy again,” he said, “no matter how long it takes. I mean, look at me. I know I’m not a .200 hitter, but I just can’t do anything about it right now.”

Said Manager Buck Rodgers: “I’m not going to play a guy who indicates he can’t play. We can always back-date him on the DL, but obviously that doesn’t mean anything if you have to operate on him.”

Snow is expected to rejoin the Angels on Friday when they open a three-game series in Seattle. He is batting .290 at Vancouver this season with a club-leading five homers and 22 runs batted in.

Meanwhile, the biggest suspense of the evening was whether the Angels and Rangers could get the game played, with Angel third baseman Damion Easley eventually tying the game in the seventh with a two-run homer.

The game was stopped in the third inning, with the Angels leading, 2-0. It was almost called, but the weather cleared.

Although it had been more than three hours since Phil Leftwich pitched, he insisted he return to the game. He threw three times in the clubhouse, and besides, he said, this was nothing compared to his college days when he would pitch both games of a doubleheader.

Leftwich completed his five innings, yielding three hits and one run, and left the game with a 3-1 lead.

“Now, this is where we want the game stopped so no one gets hurt,” Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi joked in the press box.

It was just about this time when the public-address system began blaring, “It’s a Beautiful Morning,” with the clock striking midnight.

Leftwich’s hopes for a victory vanished in the sixth inning. Juan Gonzalez tied the game with a two-out, two-run single off reliever Joe Grahe. The Rangers then took a 5-3 lead when Grahe loaded the bases and Manuel Lee hit a two-run single into right field.

The game had its share of quirks.

Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina, who never produced more than four home runs in any of his six professional seasons, hit his second homer in five days in the third inning.

A fan ran onto the field to retrieve a foul ball, jumped back into the stands, and threw the ball back onto the field when security arrived. He normally would have been promptly escorted off, but considering that he was among the faithful few who endured the delay, he was allowed to remain.

There was the scene with Angel starter Chuck Finley and infielder Rex Hudler borrowing brooms to sweep water out of the dugout.

And there was the crowd that began with 24,054 fans, and ended with less than 1,000, perhaps wondering why they bothered to stay.