AP-NW–Sports Right Now UPDATE/919
OLY-USA WOMENS BASKETBALL-FRANCE
With Sue Bird sidelined, USA beats France 86-67
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) —The U.S. will be playing for a sixth consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball after beating France 86-67, the closest contest of the Rio Games for the Americans.
The Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi scored 18 points as the U.S. won Thursday night without the services of Seattle Storm point guard Sue Bird. The U.S. turned up its defense to make up for not being as crisp offensively after routing opponents by an average of 41.7 points.
The Americans, who won their 48th straight game, will play Spain in the final Saturday.
Bird, the Americans’ starting point guard and team captain, was sidelined with a sprained right knee. The U.S. led only 40-36 at halftime but outscored France 25-8 in the decisive third quarter to finally get some separation from the team that they beat in the 2012 gold medal game.
VIKINGS-SEAHAWKS
Late interception propels Vikings to 18-11 win over Seattle
SEATTLE (AP) — Marcus Sherels intercepted Trevone Boykin’s pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown with 1:23 left and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Seattle Seahawks 18-11 Thursday night.
With Boykin trying to lead Seattle to another late comeback for a second straight week, Sherels stepped in front of his pass intended for E.Z. Nwachukwu and went untouched for the deciding score. Seattle had pulled even at 11-11 when Troymaine Pope scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 12:49 left after his 27-yard run got the Seahawks deep in Minnesota territory and Steven Hauschka’s 49-yard field goal later in the fourth quarter.
The former TCU star Boykin got Seattle to the Minnesota 5 in the closing seconds, before taking a sack. Boykin was unable to connect with Antwan Goodley in the end zone on the final play.
Seattle’s overhauled offensive line struggled after a decent debut last Saturday against Kansas City. Russell Wilson played the entire first half and was sacked four times, getting pulled down awkwardly on the last sack. Wilson was 5 of 11 for 77 yards.
The bright spot for Seattle’ starting offense was again running back Christine Michael. Projected as the Number 2 running back when the season begins, Michael finished with 55 yards on 10 carries.
MARINERS-ANGELS
Pujols, Escobar lead Angels to 6-4 win over Mariners
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols drove in two runs, Yunel Escobar had three hits and scored twice, and the Los Angeles Angels held off a late rally and beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 Thursday night.
Mike Trout also scored twice as the Angels earned a split of the four-game series with just their second win in 14 games. Pujols reached 95 RBIs with a two-run double in the eighth. He’s second in the AL, five behind Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion.
Matt Shoemaker (7-13) limited the Mariners to two earned runs — on solo homers to Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz — and five hits.
Fernando Salas gave up a two-run homer to Adam Lind in the ninth, but got Leonys Martin and Shawn O’Malley on grounders to end the game.
Hisashi Iwakuma (14-8) allowed three runs and six hits over seven innings, snapping a streak of three straight wins. Seattle remained 2 1/2 games behind Boston for the second AL wild card.
MARINERS SALE
MLB approves sale of Seattle Mariners, Stanton to take over
HOUSTON (AP) — Major League Baseball owners approved the sale of a controlling stake in the Seattle Mariners from Nintendo of America to a group of minority owners led by Western Wireless Corp. founder John Stanton and retired Microsoft executive Chris Larson.
The sale was announced in April and approved Thursday. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said the deal will close Friday or Monday.
This will be the first transfer in control of an MLB team since Ron Fowler led the purchase of the San Diego Padres in August 2012.
Stanton will take over as control person from current chairman Howard Lincoln, who is retiring. The Mariners anticipate a seamless transition in management.
Nintendo of America, under the direction of Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi, bought the Mariners from Jeff Smulyan in 1992. Under Nintendo’s ownership, the Mariners moved from the Kingdome to Safeco Field in 1999.
BBY-LLWS-OREGON-TENNESSEE
Carroll hits walk-off, 2-run double; Tennessee wins in LLWS
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa (AP) — Robert Carroll hit a walk-off, two-run double with two outs in the sixth inning and Goodlettsville, Tennessee rallied past Bend, Oregon 3-2 on Thursday night in the Little League World Series.
Tennessee started the sixth with two straight hits to put runners on second and third. After a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with one out, Oregon starter Zack Reynolds was replaced by Bowen Nelson due to a pitch limit. Nelson struck out his first batter but Carroll drilled a shot that glanced off the glove of the right fielder.
Tennessee will face Endwell, New York Sunday.
Reynolds gave Oregon a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a two-run triple. He held Tennessee to just one run through five innings.
Tanner Jones put Tennessee on the board in the third with a homer over the center-field wall. Starter Zach McWilliams pitched a complete game on 85 pitches and struck out nine.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
