U.S. tops Japan to reach WBC final

Brandon Crawford scored the tiebreaking run when Nobuhiro Matsuda bobbled Adam Jones’ grounder to third in the eighth inning, and the United States reached the championship game of the World Baseball Classic for the first time by beating Japan, 2-1, in Los Angeles.

Andrew McCutchen drove in an early run for the U.S., which will play Puerto Rico for the title tonight. Puerto Rico beat the Netherlands, 4-3, in 11 innings Monday.

The World Baseball Classic final has been played in the U.S. in each of its four editions, but the home team had never made it. The Americans only reached the semifinals once, in 2009. . . .

The rebuilding Chicago White Sox and promising shortstop Tim Anderson agreed to a six-year, $25 million contract. . . .

New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius is expected to miss the first month of the regular season because of a strained right shoulder. . . .

Notre Dame junior forward Brianna Turner will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, a major blow to the national championship hopes of the top-seeded Fighting Irish. . . .

Rice coach Mike Rhoades is returning to VCU to become the Rams’ new men’s basketball coach. . . .

Michigan State hockey coach Tom Anastos is stepping down. Spartans assistant Tom Newton will serve as interim coach during the search to replace Anastos. . . .

Italian powerhouse AS Roma will take on fivetime reigning Serie A champions Juventus FC at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, July 30, as part of the 2017 International Champions Cup.