updated 5:39 p.m. ET April 7, 2007

CLEVELAND - A holiday weekend snowstorm and a forecast for more snow caused the postponement of Saturday’s day-night doubleheader between the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners.

The doubleheader had been scheduled after Friday’s home opener at Jacobs Field was postponed following 2 hours, 53 minutes of delays. The teams played four innings in blustery and brutally cold weather before the game was finally called.

“The umpire was doing his job,” Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said of the decision to end the game. “We certainly were at the point where we were putting players at risk.”

One of Saturday’s games will be made up as part of a traditional doubleheader on Easter Sunday, beginning at 1:05 p.m. Fans will be able to see both games — with a 20-minute break in between — for the price of one.

The Indians said a makeup game with the Mariners, who are in town for a four-game series, will be rescheduled for a later date. This is Seattle’s only trip to Cleveland this season. The teams will play a three-game series in Seattle on Sept. 25-27.

On Friday, the Indians delayed the start of the home opener for 57 minutes to allow the grounds crew to clear the field of snow. The game had to be stopped twice in the second inning and again in the fifth before crew chief Rick Reed called it at after a final 1:17 delay.

The Indians were leading 4-0 at the time, and Indians pitcher Paul Byrd was one strike away from an official game and abbreviated no-hitter when the game ended.

“The playing field was getting unplayable,” Reed said. “I was concerned about the players’ safety.”

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