In brief: Mercury dominate Sky, take 2-0 lead
BASKETBALL: Brittney Griner shook off two blows to the face to finish with 19 points, Diana Taurasi added 18 and the Phoenix Mercury made it two straight routs in the WNBA Finals with a 97-68 win over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night.
The underdog Sky were far more aggressive after being blown out in Game 1, fighting Phoenix for every inch early on while leaving Griner with a scratch on her eye and a bloody mouth.
Griner and her teammates shrugged it off, running away from Chicago with a 15-2 run in the second quarter and grabbing a firm hold on the best-of-five series.
Elena Delle Donne led the Sky with 22 points after playing 11 minutes in Game 1 due to lower-back pain.
DeWanna Bonner had 15 points for Phoenix, and Penny Taylor scored 14. Griner blocked four shots after setting a finals record with eight in the opener.
The Sky were much more aggressive at the start of Game 2, pressuring the Mercury into mistakes and tough shots while taking their first lead of the series.
Griner got the worst of the Sky’s physical play midway through the first quarter, when Sylvia Fowles inadvertently hit her on the right eye while fighting for a rebound.
While Griner was getting beat up, Taurasi put on a show.
She hit a long 3-pointer and scored on a three-point play during the 15-2 run, and then added another 3 from the corner for 13 points in the quarter. Taurasi had 16 in the half and Phoenix led 51-36 after Erin Phillips scored on a three-point play in transition with 0.5 seconds left.
• U.S., Lithuania matchup set: Lithuania will have another chance to upset the United States after the two teams set up a semifinal rematch at the Basketball World Cup.
Renaldas Seibutis scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Lithuania outshot Turkey from behind the 3-point line to win their quarterfinal 73-61.
The U.S. then turned a seven-point halftime lead into a 119-76 blowout of Slovenia as six Americans scored 12 or more points, led by Klay Thompson’s 20.
Thursday’s semifinal at Palau Sant Jordi will be a rematch of the 2010 meeting when a Kevin Durant-led U.S. beat Lithuania 89-74 en route to taking the world title.
“Everybody counts on that USA is the favorite, but we would have to give a fight against them for the semifinal,” said Lithuania forward Jonas Maciulis. “We have to fight and seize the chance to play the final.”
MLB clarifies home plate collision rules
BASEBALL: Major League Baseball sent a memo to teams clarifying this year’s experimental rule intended to limit collisions at home plate, saying runners should not be called safe if the ball clearly beats them.
The rule, announced in February, says a catcher can’t block the plate if he doesn’t have the ball. There have been several disputed calls, including a pair of decisions in the last 5 1/2 weeks that led to runners being called safe after video review.
The guidelines sent to teams say the catcher’s positioning shouldn’t change the call when the throw clearly is ahead of the runner. They also say if the catcher is entirely in fair territory, he should not be considered to have blocked the plate. Photo examples were included.
“It’s basically the same thing, but the officials in New York got to use a little bit of common sense,” Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “If you’re out by 40 feet … let’s not call that guy safe because of that.”
• Wright out for season: Mets third baseman David Wright will sit out the rest of the season because of a nagging injury to his left shoulder.
The team says Wright was examined by doctors at the Hospital for Special Surgery, where he had an MRI that showed persistent inflammation in his rotator cuff.
Wright will rest to decrease the inflammation and then begin a rehabilitation program to strengthen his entire shoulder, the Mets said.
• Pedroia out indefinitely: Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia could miss the rest of the season with soreness in his left hand and left wrist.
Boston manager John Farrell says Pedroia has been bothered by the ailment since midseason and an MRI showed increased inflammation.
• Soria making return: Tigers manager Brad Ausmus says reliever Joakim Soria will be activated today, a month after he went on the disabled list with a left oblique strain.
Soria threw a simulated game Monday, and Ausmus says the right-hander felt good. The Tigers acquired Soria from Texas shortly before the trade deadline to help their bullpen, but made only six appearances before the injury.