Rain halts play in the seventh (O's win 4-3)

Umpires halted play in the top of the seventh inning tonight with one out and former Oriole Miguel Tejada on first base. Time was called at 8:56 p.m. The sky just opened up as Elliot Johnson stood at the plate. It went from a light rain to a downpour in the blink of an eye. The Orioles continue to lead 3-1 and it's an official game. If play doesn't resume, it will go down as the Orioles' 20th victory of the season. Wei-Yin Chen is trying to become the third Orioles starter to complete seven innings this season. He's already done it once, on April 26 in Oakland. Chen has allowed one run and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, with no walks and two strikeouts. He's thrown 80 pitches, 56 for strikes. Tejada has two of the hits. The Orioles have turned three double plays tonight to aid Chen. Manny Machado committed the Orioles' second error in their last 11 games with an errant throw after he made a barehanded pickup of Alex Gordon's bouncer in the fifth inning. Alcides Escobar followed with a 6-4-3 double play. The Orioles did all of their scoring in the first inning against Royals starter Ervin Santana. Nate McLouth and Machado singled with two outs in the fifth, but Nick Markakis flied to left field. Chris Davis walked with one out in the sixth and J.J. Hardy singled with two outs, but Ryan Flaherty flied to deep right field. Tonight's attendance: 12,921 Down on the farm, Triple-A Norfolk first baseman Travis Ishikawa is 3-for-3 with his third home run in two games. Jake Arrieta is still pitching. He's allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, with two walks and two strikeouts. Update: The delay lasted 48 minutes. Brian Matusz has replaced Chen in the seventh, so the line I passed along is official if Tejada is stranded. Matusz has stranded all 26 runners he's inherited since moving to the bullpen last summer. Tommy Hunter is warming in the bullpen. Arrieta allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, with two walks, two strikeouts and one home run. He threw 99 pitches, 61 for strikes. The last run scored after he left the game. Update II: Matusz let his first inherited runner score. Elliot Johnson flied out, but Alex Gordon drove a 2-2 pitch onto the flag court in right field to tie the game, 3-3. Gordon fouled off a slider to stay alive and drove a 91 mph fastball over the out-of-town scoreboard, the seventh pitch of the at-bat. Hunter retired Escobar to end the inning. Update III: Matt Wieters produced his second double and third RBI of the night to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead in the eighth. Adam Jones walked and took second on Luke Hochevar's errant pickoff throw. Wieters followed with a fly ball that dropped inside the left field line. Here comes Jim Johnson to pitch the top of the ninth. Update IV: Johnson retired the side in order for his 12th save, and the Orioles held on for a 4-3 win. The Orioles are 20-13. They won their 20th game last season on May 10.