O's game blog: The suspended game resumes with another to follow at St. Louis

ST. LOUIS - The Orioles and Cardinals will wrap up their three-game series today at Busch Stadium, completing last night's suspended game and then playing the regularly scheduled third and final game of the set.

The O's have struggled to hit thus far this series, going 3-for-31 in Monday's 6-3 loss. Last night's game was suspended by rain in a 1-1 tie before the beginning of the last of the sixth inning. The O's went 2-for-21 in that one, getting doubles from Kyle Stowers and Jorge Mateo.

Mateo's two-base hit to left, stung at 107.7 mph off his bat into left field, scored the Birds' only run last night. It tied the game 1-1 in the fifth after Nolan Gorman's RBI double in the second had put St. Louis ahead.

The O's Gunnar Henderson hit his 16th homer here on Monday night, a three-run shot. He has hit four in the last four completed O's games and 13 in the last 30 games. According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Henderson is the fifth player age 22 or younger to hit at least 16 homers in his team's first 45 games. He joins Washington's Bryce Harper in 2015, Seattle's Alex Rodriguez in 1998, the Washington Senators' Harmon Killebrew in 1959 and the Milwaukee Braves' Eddie Matthews in 1953. 

If Henderson hits one in what is left of last night's game, he will have homered in five consecutive games. The last Oriole to do that was Jonathan Schoop in 2018. The team record is six games in a row with a home run, co-held by Reggie Jackson in 1976 and Chris Davis in 2012.

After the completion of the suspended game and the start of the regular game 30 minutes later, we are expected to see lefty John Means (2-0, 3.06 ERA) pitch that game versus former Oriole right-hander Kyle Gibson (3-2, 4.09 ERA).

Means is making his fourth start off the injured list. The last time out he allowed two runs over six innings versus Seattle. In three games he has thrown 17 2/3 innings, allowing 15 hits with no walks, and recording 15 strikeouts. 

His fastball has averaged 90.9 mph, and he is getting a 39.1 percent whiff rate on swings against his changeup and a 34.6 rate on his slider. The Orioles are 3-0 in his starts.

Gibson is making his 10th start, and the Cardinals are 4-5 in the first nine. He gave up five runs over six innings his last time out, against Boston. He has five quality starts. In 12 career games against Baltimore he is 6-2 with a 3.82 ERA.  

This will be the only game blog today, so stay here during this completion of the suspended game and through the second one as well.