Skydome

Seven people were injured yesterday when two 30-pound tiles fell from the upper deck of SkyDome in Toronto during the Blue Jays' 9-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The game wasn't stopped and many in the crowd of 43,490 weren't aware of what happened.Five of the fans were treated for cuts at SkyDome's medical center and released, an elderly man was given stitches, and a teen-age girl with head cuts was brought to Toronto Western Hospital, where she was treated and released last night.(Article, 4C)

At SkyDome, Toronto Day...Time...TV...Starters Tonight...7:05...13, 20...Sidney Ponson (7-12, 5.69) vs. Miguel Batista (9-7, 4.41) Tomorrow...4:05...54, 20...Dave Borkowski (3-2, 3.29) vs. Josh Towers (7-4, 4.62) Sunday...1:05...54, 20...Daniel Cabrera (9-5, 3.71) vs. Dave Bush (1-3, 3.59) Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) Blue Jays update Toronto figured to contend this season after finishing in third place for six straight years, but last place is more likely. The Blue Jays fired manager Carlos Tosca during the weekend and promoted first base coach John Gibbons.

A man died yesterday after falling about seven stories from a ramp at SkyDome during the seventh inning of Monday's Toronto Blue Jays' game with the Boston Red Sox.Kenneth Piery, 39, of Kincardine, Ontario, fell to the stadium's ground floor from its top level at 10:45 p.m., Toronto Police Det. Al Brown said. He said Piery was taken to St. Michael's Hospital where he later died of "massive head and neck injuries.""The victim decided to jump from ramp to ramp. He jumped on top of the ramp and lost his balance and down he went," Brown said.

TORONTO - Orioles leadoff man Brian Roberts was toast. He broke for second base yesterday in the sixth inning of a scoreless game, and it was as if the Toronto Blue Jays had read his mind. Toronto executed a perfect pitchout, and the throw to second beat Roberts by two steps. That's when it happened. That's when the Orioles got the break their new manager was anticipating in a 7-0 victory that capped a stunning weekend at SkyDome, where they assumed sole possession of first place in the American League East with their fourth straight win. That's when Roberts realized he was playing for a different team.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- That's a major-league dateline, pal, and don't you forget it.Live from Grant Field, it's the Toronto Scab Jays!At Camden Yards, hitters aim for the warehouse. At Grant Field -- and this is perfect -- they aim for a little-league diamond beyond the right-field wall.Little league, big league, it's all the same these days.If none of the Scab Jays hits their soon-to-be-famous target, Toronto management can simply replace them with the Dunedin American Little League All-Stars.

TORONTO -- I was walking along a sidewalk outside SkyDome a couple of hours before the All-Star Game the other night, listening to a kid hawk $7 programs -- "think what it'll be worth in 20 years" -- and suddenly Johnny Mathis was singing to me.This was quite a feat considering Johnny was nowhere near Toronto, but SkyDome is such an astonishment that I didn't blink. I have been to the place often enough (making me, what, a SkyVet?) to learn that the first rule is you never know what you might confront around the next bend, so, as the Boy Scouts warn, be prepared.

Toronto's SkyDome, which the Orioles visit for the first time this season tonight, is only 2 years old. For the Orioles, however, it has been around long enough to already hold a handful of bad memories.The Orioles probably would like to forget their last visit to Toronto. Ninth-inning Blue Jay heroics foiled the Orioles on three consecutive days last September. On the 14th, Baltimore wasted a pinch-hit grand slam by Sam Horn, on the 15th Toronto's Kelly Gruber blasted a game-ending three-run home run off of Curt Schilling, and on the 16th, closer Gregg Olson gave up a game-winning hit to George Bell.

TORONTO -- SkyDome has not been kind to the Orioles.It was where the 1989 Orioles' miracle season came to an abrupt end.Cal Ripken, Bill Ripken, Brady Anderson, Chris Hoiles and Mike Devereaux suffered through that season-ending series defeat to the heavily favored Toronto Blue Jays, and now they're looking to make amends in this week's season finale.This late September series could elicit similar feelings of loss for the Orioles, should they fail to secure a playoff berth in the next three days.

Blue Jays: Roger Clemens broke the team scoreless innings streak record set by Dave Stieb in 1988. Clemens struck out John Valentin in the first, the 3,100th of Clemens' career. Jose Canseco homered into SkyDome's fifth deck for the second time in his career. Carlos Delgado, Joe Carter and Mark McGwire are the only other players to reach the 500 level. McGwire hit the longest home run in SkyDome history on July 25, 1996, a 488-foot shot.Pub Date: 9/06/98

By the number: Ripken hit 12 homers in 22 swings to win the Home Run Derby before the 1991 All-Star Game at SkyDome in Toronto. The other contestants combined for 15 homers in 85 swings.2,109: Consecutive games Ripken has played2,130: Lou Gehrig's record7+ Sept. 6: Projected date to break record

Who's hot Tony Womack of the Cardinals, who had only 13 steals last year,had three yesterday. Who's not Hideo Nomo of the Dodgers gave up seven hits and seven earned runs in five innings, with 43 strikes and 33 balls. Line of the day Barry Bonds, Giants LF AB R H RBI HR 3 2 3 3 1 He said it "It's great to meet you. I had your [baseball] card when I was a kid." Vice President Dick Cheney, to Reds broadcaster and former pitcher Joe Nuxhall On deck Mike Maroth of the Tigers starts today at SkyDome, where he lost his 20th game on Sept.

TORONTO - The Orioles proved they could dismantle another team's seven-run lead, breaking it down piece by piece before removing the final chunk with one mighty blow. Their instructional book also must include a page on how to protect the same margin. To the relief of an entire organization, the task fell into the hands of Travis Driskill, who had gone from feel-good story to growing concern. With only one win in his past six decisions, Driskill was given enough room yesterday to work out his problems.

The Blue Jays have fallen out of contention for a playoff spot, and must fend off the Orioles to avoid a fourth-place collision. They were 11-16 last month and fell a season-worst 10 games below .500 July 30. They hadn't been that far under since Sept. 28, 1997. The Blue Jays are 14-28 in their past 42 home games. The Orioles are 5-2 against Toronto this season, winning three of four at SkyDome in late June. Jay Gibbons, left exposed by the Jays in December's Rule 5 draft, has five homers against them.

TORONTO - Customs stopped the Orioles once again last night. Unable to win in this building and unable to stop hemorrhaging home runs, the Orioles fell to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5, last night before a distracted crowd of 15,103 at SkyDome. Orioles starter Jason Johnson (0-2) lasted just four innings and took the loss because he couldn't keep the Blue Jays from smashing two home runs that brought them all their runs. As a re-sult, the Orioles couldn't avert their 11th straight loss to the Blue Jays nor a 12th consecutive loss inside this retractable chamber of horrors.

Quote: "I don't want to make a big deal out of the run support. If this was going to happen all year, yeah, I'd be frustrated. But it's way too early to worry about it." - Gil Meche, for whom the Mariners have scored four runs in his six starts while he's in the game It's a fact: A home run has been hit in all 17 games at SkyDome, and the Blue Jays' ERA at home is 7.18. Who's hot: The Tigers' Juan Encarnacion has an 18-game hitting streak. Who's not: Darin Erstad is 3-for-21 on the Angels' road trip.