Cardinals send Kyle Gibson to face former Orioles teammates

After the Cardinals conclude their suspended game with the Orioles from Tuesday night, St. Louis pitcher Kyle Gibson will face his former Baltimore teammates Wednesday afternoon to wrap up a three-game series.

Persistent thunderstorms in St. Louis forced the stoppage of Tuesday's game at Busch Stadium with the score tied 1-1 in the sixth inning. Play will resume with the Cardinals batting in the bottom of that frame.

The Cardinals won the series opener Monday for their sixth victory in eight games. The Orioles have lost four of their past seven games.

Gibson (3-2, 4.09 ERA) enjoyed seeing some of baseball's best prospects blossom into big league standouts while with the Orioles last season.

"I think watching young players be comfortable and really kind of come into who they are on the field and off the field is something that I will remember from that team," said Gibson, who signed with the Cardinals as a free agent during the offseason. "Just watching them have that success, probably not for the first time, but for the first sustained time at that level, was something that was pretty special."

Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson will get another chance to extend his homer streak to five games. He was 0-for-3 on Tuesday before the game was halted.

Baltimore went 2-for-21 at the plate and scored an unearned run against Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn. But after a season with the Orioles, Gibson knows how explosive their offense can be.

"These players are obviously really good," Gibson said. "You (media) guys get a front-row seat every day, and the fans are getting a front-row seat, to a really good team. Not too surprised by how they're playing."

Gibson needed big run support to win his last start 10-6 over the Boston Red Sox on Friday. He allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks, but he managed to complete six-plus innings in the slugfest.

Gibson, who previously pitched for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies, as well, is 6-2 with a 3.82 ERA in 12 career starts against the Orioles.

The Orioles will counter with left-hander John Means (2-0, 3.06), who earned a 9-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday in his previous start. He allowed those two runs on six hits in six innings while striking out four and walking none.

That was just his third start of the season after he recovered from a forearm injury.

"I thought Means battled," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "Early there, he didn't really have his fastball command. But I thought the breaking balls and the changeup got him out of a lot of trouble, got him some outs. I didn't think he had his best fastball, didn't have his best fastball command. But that his changeup is so good, and throwing that slurve, he dumped some curveballs in, kept them off-balance that way."

Means lost his only career start against the Cardinals while allowing three runs in five innings last September in his first game back from Tommy John surgery.

--Field Level Media