U.S. reaches 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, on Tuesday night at rainy Dodger Stadium.

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 reached the semifinals only once, in 2009. But this All-Star-laden roster has won two straight elimination games to earn the chance for its first crown.

EX-BULLS GM KRAUSE DIES

Jerry Krause, the Bulls general manager when Chicago won six NBA championships in the 1990s, died Tuesday afternoon. He was 77.

Krause, who is a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the contributor category, battled persistent health issues, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“Jerry was a key figure in the Bulls’ dynasty and meant so much to the Bulls, White Sox and city of Chicago,” Michael Jordan said in a statement to the newspaper.

The Chicago native, who became the Bulls GM in 1985 before retiring in 2003, drafted Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant in 1987 and was part of the organization as the Bulls — with superstar Jordan and coach Phil Jackson — created a dynasty, winning in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. — Amara Grautski

NOTRE DAME STAR OUT

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

RAPTORS, BULLS BRAWL

The Raptors fought and scrapped and ended an 11-game losing streak against the visiting Bulls by rallying for a wild 122-120 overtime victory.

Serge Ibaka scored 16 before he was ejected for his role in a memorable fight with Robin Lopez in the third quarter. The melee started when Lopez swatted the ball out of the hand of Ibaka. The two squared up in the middle of a crowd and Lopez swung and missed. Ibaka then connected with a blow to the head of the center.

Lopez and Ibaka were ejected following a long review period.