lead into

The score was tied 3-3 after the first quarter, but the Cavaliers’ suffocating defense began to take hold in the second quarter as Cleveland scored three times to take a 6-2 lead into halftime.

Only when the ball cleared the glove of leaping left fielder Brandon Nimmo and settled into the first row of seats above the wall was Hernández assured of a two-run blast that turned a two-run lead into a four-run lead, providing much-needed breathing room in the Dodgers’ 8-0 National League Championship Series Game 3 victory .

In the context of the series, he’s similar to a sensitive, empathetic version of Gregory House; like “House M.D.,” this is the medical show as mystery, and as in all such shows, the investigators will get it wrong before they get it right, offering plenty of occasions for sudden emergencies that lead into commercials.

The Sparks got off to a hot start, building an advantage on the boards that led to a noticeable 12-2 margin in second-chance points as they took an eight-point lead into halftime.

The gulf in class was evident though, as the US took a 6-2 lead into the singles, needing 2½ points to win the trophy.