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Sporadic bursts of rain caused the Orioles to keep the tarp on their infield until less than an hour before last night's first pitch. It took a lot longer to unwrap the offense. Royals@Orioles Tonight, 7:05, MASN, 105.7 FM Starters: Brandon Duckworth (0-0, 0.00) vs. Erik Bedard (1-1, 6.94)

DEAR CAL -- We were in a tournament game that ended in a tie. Obviously, with other games behind us, we couldn't have played until someone won. But other tournaments we've played in had a tiebreaker system where you start an extra inning with a runner at second, then each batter has a full count. It moves quickly, and usually within no more than a couple of quick innings, there's some resolution to the game. What do you think of games ending in ties, and of the tiebreaker system? Todd Pratt, Bethesda DEAR TODD -- As we've experienced at our tournaments in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and in Aberdeen, it is important to stay on schedule as much possible to make sure that everyone gets to play in an equal amount of complete games - especially during pool play.

Blue Jays: It was the 1,800th career game as a manager for Jim Fregosi, who was hired March 17 after Tim Johnson was fired.Mariners: Seattle has scored four runs this season, three by bases-empty homers. Jeff Fassero and Jamie Moyer, the 1-2 starters, gave up 14 earned runs in 12 innings, a 10.50 ERA, in the first two games. They surrendered Chicago's five homers.White Sox: With 967 career RBIs and 580 extra base hits, Frank Thomas is second in White Sox history behind Luke Appling's 1,116 RBIs and 587 extra-base hits.

Cardinals: Jose Jimenez's 7 2/3-inning outing was the longest by a St. Louis starter since Kent Bottenfield went eight innings on May 10. Jimenez's triple was the first extra-base hit of his career.Pub Date: 6/16/99

EastThe Patriots have 24 players left on their roster from the Bill Parcells era. The Jets have just five former Patriots on theirs. But those diminished numbers won't lessen the significance of Tuna Bowl V at the Meadowlands today. Patriots coach Pete Carroll, 1-3 against the Jets since replacing Parcells two years ago, called it a "grudge" game last week. "I don't think it'll ever go away," Carroll said of the scrutiny he faces when he's up against Parcells, who is known as Tuna. "I don't think there's any way you can make it go away.

What does an elementary school do with a couple of thousand dollars of leftover grant money?At Deep Run Elementary School, the answer is: create a summer reading institute to help beginning readers build skills."

Young Ja Kim kept her quarterfinal match alive when she won the 18th hole, then chipped close to set up a win over Susan Zeiler at the second extra hole, as the annual Women's Metropolitan championship continued at Maryland Golf & Country Club in Bel Air yesterday.This morning, Kim will play Sharon Pusin in one semifinal. Pusin triumphed in a see-saw match, using a win at the 18th hole for a 1-up victory over Joan Lins.In the top half of the draw, both winners had to protect what they had at the 18th hole, rather than needing a win.Shirley Keeney went 2-up on Ellie Jones in the middle of the back nine, then lost the 17th and halved the 18th to escape with a 1-up win for the second straight day.Joanne Smith moved out opposite Keeney when she stopped Janice Misey, 2 up.The tournament shifts to the Green Spring VHC for today's semifinals, then goes to the Suburban Club tomorrow for the championship and all flight finals.

Extra Point Flip-FlopTiger University is playing Cougar College. The Tigers score a touchdown. They line up to kick the extra point. Aaargh! The Cougars block the kick.A Cougar defender scoops up the ball and starts running toward the Tiger end zone. He is tackled at the Tiger five-yard line and fumbles the ball!This time, a Tiger player picks up the ball and dashes back to the end zone.Have the Tigers scored a touchdown?ANSWER: No. But they have scored a 2-point conversion.VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SIKIDS.

PHILADELPHIA -- A rather bittersweet season ended in exultation for Navy's place-kicker yesterday.Senior Tim Shubzda went out with his right foot blazing, kicking an Army-Navy record-tying four field goals to highlight the Midshipmen's 19-9 victory, gaining some final satisfaction on the biggest stage of his career."

The "snow drops" arrived two days ago: 600 extra loaves of bread and 600 extra cartons of milk.By noon yesterday, Barbara Rogers had four of those loaves and two of those cartons -- and a slew of other foul-weather provisions -- in her shopping cart at the Giant supermarket at the Rotunda in North Baltimore.All over the region, shoppers scrambled to stock their cupboards and refrigerators in anticipation of the snowstorm expected to hit here today.More than a dozen people were lined up outside Giant when it opened at 9 a.m., unusual for a New Year's Day, when holiday revelers tend to be home asleep or sipping coffee.

As frustrating as air travel has gotten in recent years, there's something particularly galling about how far certain carriers have taken the nickel-and-diming of passengers. The latest news from the wild blue yonder is that Southwest Airlines is now offering - for an extra $10 - an opportunity to cut in the passenger boarding line. That's right. Beginning Wednesday, Southwest started selling $10 cuts. Pay the money on top of a one-way fare and you get "EarlyBird Check-in," which simply means you get to board early (after business class and other favored few but before the riffraff majority)

MARC rider Suzanne Lurie's knees were hurting her, so of course she wrote her local transportation columnist. Who would you consult - an orthopedist? Lurie had some questions about the MARC station in Halethorpe. She thought I could get some answers out of the Maryland Transit Administration. As it turns out, tormenting the MTA is one of my specialties. But let's let Lurie tell her (lightly edited) story: I began working in DC a little over 3 years ago. I live in Owings Mills so, all things considered, Halethorpe is the best choice MARC train station for me. As you probably are aware, in order to access the southbound side of the tracks from the northbound side, a person must ascend about 50 steps to an overpass, cross the tracks via the overpass, then descend at least another 50 steps on the other side.

Looking for hope I'm starting to sense that many of you are resigned to a poor 2009 for the Orioles, as long as you see bright spots. I think that's the way you have to look at the coming season, and any extra is gravy (the good type). (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/cornersportsbar)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -Outfielder Felix Pie was a no-show for the first full-squad workout yesterday. The Orioles confirmed that he is having visa problems in the Dominican Republic and that there is no timetable for his arrival in camp. Manager Dave Trembley said he doesn't expect Pie's absence to be a big problem if it lasts only a few days and added he's hopeful it does not stretch into the exhibition season, which begins Wednesday. "I don't know when he's going to get here," Trembley said.

Hollywood is offering a bunch of 3-D films this year, including two in theaters now, but there's an extra charge for that extra dimension. At AMC Columbia 14 and Muvico Egyptian 24 in Hanover, seeing Coraline in 3-D will cost an extra $2. At AMC Loews White Marsh 16, having your blood curdled by My Bloody Valentine in 3-D (what a way to celebrate Valentine's Day!) also carries a $2 surcharge. At Regal Bel Air Cinema Stadium 14, tickets for Coraline in 3-D have an extra $2.50 tacked on. (There's no extra charge at theaters showing either film in old-fashioned 2-D.)

Rose Bowl 5 p.m. [chs. 2, 7] How fitting is it that Joe Paterno (right) is coaching in a bowl known as the Granddaddy of Them All? But then again, there is no game known as the Great-Granddaddy of Them All. On the other sideline, Penn State's opponent, Southern California, is coached by a guy who looks as if he once was an extra in Gidget.

The cops got a 3 percent raise. The mayor got a 2 1/2 percent raise. Seems fair. I don't mind an extra $3,700 in Sheila Dixon's pocket, or the raises for the comptroller, the City Council president and other lawmakers. And I won't even discuss how they hid their vote using arcane job classification codes. What is astounding is that they gave themselves raises while ordering millions of dollars in budget cuts from the Police Department, including slashing overtime, even as a spate of killings made November the deadliest month of the year.

1 What a matchup: All right, Southern California vs. Oklahoma (7 p.m., ESPN2). Oh, it's basketball. We were all excited for a minute there. 2 Not tonight: Carmelo Anthony (left, with ball) and the Nuggets scored 132 points Tuesday night. We're guessing they won't get that many tonight against the Spurs (10:30, TNT). 3 Remember, you: are paying extra: Aren't you glad you get the NFL Network? Raiders at Chargers, 8 p.m. 4 Lake view: Wilde Lake faces Westlake for the Class 3A football title at M&T Bank Stadium (7 p.m.)

Hometown: Baltimore Members: Kathleen Wilson, guitar and vocals; Matt Pie, drums; Alex Fine, lead guitar; Curt Schmelz, bass Founded: 2004 Style: garage rock Influenced by: Brian Setzer, The Knife, Fun Boy Three Notable: Fine was going to start another band called The Lexington Arrows, and when it fell apart, he offered it to Wilson and the rest of the crew. Schmelz added an extra "e" onto The - an homage to musician Billy Childish. Quotable: "Curt wants to be different and whatnot," Wilson said.

Open memo to Commissioner Bud Selig: You are right that you shouldn't alter the extra-innings format in the All-Star Game just because this year's exhibition went 15 innings. There shouldn't be a souped-up version like there is in the Olympics, with teams beginning each inning after the 10th with runners automatically on first and second. To paraphrase the late Syd Thrift, the All-Star Game isn't country roundcat. I also agree with you that "an additional safeguard" should be implemented in case a future All-Star Game goes extras.