Defending champion U.S. women fall to 0-2 in 3x3 basketball pool play with 20-17 loss to Azerbaijan

PARIS (AP) — Tiffany Hayes scored 11 points, including the go-ahead basket late, to lead Azerbaijan to a 20-17 win over the U.S. in women's 3x3 basketball pool play at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, dropping the defending champions to 0-2.

The game was tied when Hayes, who plays for the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, drove into the lane and finished with a layup to put Azerbaijan on top 18-17 with six seconds to go.

The U.S. had a chance to regain the lead, but Hailey Van Lith's 2-pointer was off.

A desperation foul by the U.S. led to two free throws by Alexandra Mollenhauer to secure the victory.

The U.S. team was among the favorites to win again in these games. But so far the team has struggled and lost to Germany in the opener.

Dearica Hamby had seven points and five rebounds to lead the U.S. She joined the team this summer after Cameron Brink sustained a knee injury. Van Lith added five points.

“We have to have short term memory and move on to the next one,” Hamby said.

Sandra Ygueravide scored nine points and Vega Gimeno added seven to lead Spain over France for its second win in pool play.

Marie Eve Paget got France within a point with about three minutes left before Gimeno scored the next four points to extend Spain’s lead to 15-10.

Gimeno swished a 2-pointer to cap that run with about 30 seconds to go. Her teammates screamed after she hit the shot and NBA Hall of Famer Pau Gasol cheered from a courtside seat.

Ygueravide made a free throw and a basket after that to close out the victory.

Spain beat Azerbaijan 18-16 in its first game Tuesday.

All four of France’s players had three points as the team lost its second game after falling to China in overtime Tuesday.

Marena Whittle had nine points and Alex Wilson scored eight, capped by a 2-pointer that lifted Australia over Germany.

Wilson made a basket to put Australia up by 2 with just over a minute left before Svenja Brunckhorst hit a 2-point shot for Germany to tie it at 19-all.

On the next possession, Wilson drained the 2-pointer to lift Australia to the victory with 46 seconds left after the team lost to Canada in its first Olympic game Tuesday.

“I live for those moments,” Wilson said. “You practice that growing up as a kid and as you get older those are the type of shots that you want to take. So I look for those moments as a player.”

Sonja Greinacher had nine points and four rebounds to lead Germany, which beat the defending champion U.S. on Tuesday.

Australia made 5 of 8 free throws in a game in which Germany had just two attempts.

The game was tied at 13-all with about 3 1/2 minutes to go before Australia used a 5-2 run, with two free throws from Wilson, to take an 18-15 lead.

Greinacher got Germany within 1 with a 2-pointer after that to set up the exciting finish.

Michelle Plouffe and Paige Crozon had seven points each as Canada improved to 2-0 in pool play with a victory over China.

Canada defeated Australia in its opening game on Tuesday.

“It’s great to have two wins to start the tournament,” Crozon said. “China is an awesome team, so big, so physical.”

Crozon made five of Canada’s first six points as the team raced out to a 6-1 lead.

A basket by Jiyuan Wan got China within four points with about five minutes left before a 6-2 spurt extended Canada’s lead to 16-8. Plouffe made four free throws in that stretch.

China was done in by poor long-range shooting, going 1 for 8, while Canada made five of its 12 attempts.

Mingling Chen had five points to lead China after the team beat France in overtime in its first game.

Despite winning its first two games, Canada is still looking for improvement.

“I really think we have to clean up some things defensively, and then just be clear on our defensive exchanges,” Crozon said.

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Canada's Kacie Bosch, left, vies with China's Wang Lili in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between Canada and China at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Dimeo van der Horst of the Netherlands, left, vies with Latvia's Zigmars Raimo in the men's 3x3 basketball pool round match between Latvia and the Netherlands at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Canada's Kacie Bosch, center, celebrates her teams win with Paige Crozon, left, and Katherine Plouffe in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between Canada and China at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Germany's Sonja Greinacher, center, battles for the ball with Australia's Anneli Maley as Australia's Lauren Mansfield looks to support, in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between Germany and Australia at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Australia's, from left, Anneli Maley, Marena Whittle, Alex Wilson and Lauren Mansfield celebrate their victory as Germany's Marie Reichert looks on, in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between Germany and Australia at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Spain's Juana Camilion, right, and Spain's Sandra Ygueravide celebrate their win in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between France and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Spain's Sandra Ygueravide goes to the basket defended by France's Marie Eve Paget in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between France and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Azerbaijan's Tiffany Hayes shoots in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between the United States and Azerbaijan at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Cierra Burdick of the United States vies with Azerbaijan's Tiffany Hayes for the ball in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between the United States and Azerbaijan at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Azerbaijan's Tiffany Hayes defends against a shot by Hailey van Lith of the United States in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match between the United States and Azerbaijan at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer against his former team and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Atlanta 9-0 on Monday night, dropping the Braves out of a playoff position.

Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4 with a walk and a pair of run-scoring grounders that increased his RBIs total to 108. He did not hit a home run or steal a base during the series, remaining at 47 home runs and 48 steals as he tries to become the first 50-50 player.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed four hits and two walks in four innings, throwing 72 pitches in his second start since returning from a right arm injury — up from 59 on Sept. 10.

“We've tried to take our time with him and make sure he is at full health and built him up the right way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It is a shot in the arm and he knows how valuable he is to our club. These last two starts, I feel like we have a good foundation and we are almost to the point where we can just let him go.”

The Dodgers extended their scoreless streak to 15 innings and pitched their 13th shutout.

NL West-leading Los Angeles (89-61) began the night 3 1/2 games behind second place San Diego. The Dodgers scored nine runs on just four hits for the second time since 1906: The other was on June 4, 2021, also at Atlanta.

After losing the first two games of the series by a combined 16-3, the Dodgers outscored the Braves 18-2 over the last two.

“When you start off a series like this at the end of the year and you want to play well and drop the first two, to come back and respond, I thought that was big by the team,” Freeman said. “I’ve played a long time and that was probably one of the weirdest offensive games I’ve been a part of.”

Atlanta (81-69) dropped one game behind the New York Mets (82-68) for the NL's third wild card spot. The Braves were 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 10 against Yamamoto.

Los Angeles took advantage of seven walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch. Miguel Rojas was 1 for 1 with two walks, a steal and three runs scored.

“He really exemplifies what I expect in a ballplayer,” Roberts said. “Tonight, he won a ballgame for us.”

Max Fried (9-10) gave up three runs and two hits in six innings

Fried threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the first after Rojas walked, advanced on a grounder and stole third. Rojas' run-scoring single and Ohtani's RBI grounder boosted the lead to 3-0 in the fifth.

Freeman capped a six-run seventh with his 22nd homer after Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández drove in runs.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: C Austin Barnes was placed on the 10-day IL with a left big toe fracture. C Hunter Feduccia was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... RHP Joe Kelly (right shoulder inflammation) rejoined the team in Atlanta and could be activated while the team is in Miami this week.

Braves: 2B Ozzie Albies (wrist) is scheduled to play second base for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday and Wednesday. If that goes well, he could rejoin the Braves in Miami on Friday.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: RHP Bobby Miller (2-4, 8.17) will open a three-game series in Miami on Tuesday night against Marlins RHP Darren McCaughan (0-0, 7.06), starting a stretch of six games against last-place teams.

Braves: Rookie RHP Grant Holmes (2-1, 3.49) faces Reds LHP Brandon Williamson (0-0, 2.08) to start a three-game series at Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches a pitch go by called strike in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, tags second base before Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia, right, can get the ball in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani checks the scoreboard from the dugout in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches the scoreboard before his turn at bat in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates in the dugout after Freddie Freeman hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman swings in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman celebrates in the dugout after hitting three-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández celebrates in the dugout after Freddie Freeman hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)