Rookie Alissa Pili breaks out in Lynx’s 95-71 rout of Phoenix

posted in: News | 0

The Minnesota Lynx bounced back nicely for part of Friday.

Mixing success inside and outside the arc, often open shots set up by strong ball movement, and the most productive game of the season from non-starters, the Lynx opened up a 29-point first-half lead, overcame a third-quarter lull and beat Phoenix 95-71 in Target Center.

It was a balanced offensive attack.

Per usual, Napheesa Collier had another double-double this time with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and fellow starter Courtney Williams had 11 points and five assists.

But this one was about the Lynx bench production. Minnesota’s reserves outscored the starters by five points.

Alissa Pili scored 20 points to lead the non-starters, Dorka Juhász added 13, and Cecilia Zandalasini netted a dozen.

Beginning the night leading the league by shooting 45.4% from field, including 37.8% from deep, the Lynx (5-2) finished 49.3% and 40%, respectively. Minnesota shot a season-low 36.9% in Wednesday’s 14-point loss to Las Vegas.

Six players made 3-point shots, led by four from Pili and three from Williams. Collier, Zandalasini and Alanna Smith had two apiece.

“Coming off a loss it was about being aggressive. We needed to bounce back,” Juhász said in an in-arena interview. “This one was personal.”

Minnesota had a season-high 29 assists, including 19 on its 23 first-half made shots. Its previous high for a game was 27 in a double-overtime game two weeks ago.

The Lynx shot 70% in the second quarter, making five of seven shots from deep while outscoring Phoenix 34-19 for a 55-31 lead at intermission.

Minnesota’s bench scored the first 23 points of the quarter. The Lynx reserves outscored their Phoenix counterparts 50-10.

Seeing her first action in three games, Pili, the eighth overall pick in the April draft, had eight points in the rush, including a putback of her own miss and a straight-on 3-pointer that brought many of the 7,035 in attendance to their feet.

Zandalasini swished home a trey and a pair of long jumpers, and Juhász added six points. Nine Lynx players had at least three points in the first half.

Defensive rebounding issues by the Lynx gave Phoenix life in the third quarter — the Mercury had eight of their 10 offensive rebounds after just two in the first half — but the Mercury could only get within 15 points.

Kahleah Copper led Phoenix (3-5) with 21 points. The Mercury got 14 from 19-year veteran Diana Taurasi. Before the game, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve called Taurasi the “Tom Brady of the WNBA.”

Trevor Larnach homers to back up a strong start by Pablo López as Twins beat Astros 6-1

posted in: News | 0

HOUSTON (AP) — Pablo López pitched seven strong innings and Trevor Larnach hit a two-run homer to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-1 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.

“He pitched great and he had a pretty good changeup today,” manager Rocco Baldelli said of López. “He attacked with his fastball really well and I think he threw enough good offspeed pitches to get what he was looking for.”

Carlos Santana added a solo home run and Willi Castro tripled to help the Twins to their fourth victory in five games.

López (5-5) allowed six hits and a run with six strikeouts as he tied his longest start of the season. He bounced back after three tough starts during which he gave up a combined 25 hits and 16 runs.

“The last couple of games were a little rough (and) the box score (said) things that you never want to see as a starting pitcher,” he said. “But it’s just a testament to staying true to the process, not wanting to change too much and simplifying things.”

Alex Bregman went deep in the third inning for his third home run in four games, but the Astros couldn’t do much else on offense in their fourth loss in five games.

Castro’s triple opened the third before Jose Miranda walked. There was one out in the inning when Carlos Correa’s double to right field scored Castro to make it 1-0. Miranda scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Kirilloff to put Minnesota up 2-0.

Bregman cut the lead to 1 when he sent Lopez’s first pitch of the fourth inning off the foul pole in left field.

Castro walked with no outs in the fifth before Larnach made it 4-1 with his shot to left-center field off Ronel Blanco (5-1) with one out.

Max Kepler was hit by a pitch to start the sixth and moved to third on a double by Ryan Jeffers. Kepler scored on a groundout by Manuel Margot to extend the lead to 5-1.

Santana’s home run off Alex Speas made it 6-1 in the eighth.

Blanco, who threw a no-hitter in his season debut, allowed three hits and four runs while walking three in 4 2/3 innings for his first loss.

“He had the stuff to take us deep into the game,” manager Joe Espada said. “It was just one of those nights where their offense did a nice job of executing and staying in the game and getting some hits.”

Trainer’s room

Twins: 3B Royce Lewis (severe quadriceps strain) went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his fifth rehabilitation start for Triple-A St. Paul on Friday. Baldelli wouldn’t say when he expected him to come off the injured list, but said it wouldn’t be this weekend.

Up next

Houston LHP Framber Valdez (3-3, 4.34 ERA) opposes Joe Ryan (4-3, 2.96) when the series continues Saturday.

Rochester Red Wings’ Jackson Rutledge and three relievers quiet St. Paul Saints in 8-2 victory

posted in: Society | 0

Jackson Rutledge flipped the script in his second start against the St. Paul Saints. The Washington Nationals’ No. 6 prospect held a struggling Saints offense in check in an 8-2 victory for the Rochester Red Wings on Friday night in Rochester, N.Y.

Last month at CHS Field, the Saints roughed up Rutledge for nine runs in two innings. On Friday night, Rutledge held the Saints to two hits and two walks in the first four innings and exited with two outs in the fifth after allowing a two-run double to Diego Castillo.

That was about all the offense the Saints produced, as Red Wings relievers Joe La Sorsa, Adonis Medina and Luis Reyes allowed just three hits and one walk over 4 1/3 innings.

Rochester beat the Saints for a second straight night. The Red Wings have won three of the first five games of the seven-game series.

Saints starter Louie Varland (2-4) allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks over five innings.

Varland was touched for three runs in the third inning when the Red Wings loaded the bases on a catcher’s interference call, a bunt single and Darren Baker’s single. Drew Millas drove in a run with a single, and Travis Blankenhorn followed with a run-scoring groundout. An error by shortstop Will Holland on Juan Yepez’s groundball allowed a third run to score.

In the fourth, the Red Wings loaded the bases against Varland, helped by a walk and Varland’s error on a sacrifice bunt, and Varland then walked Blankenhorn to force in a run.

Royce Lewis, in his fifth rehab game, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a flyout to left.

Related Articles

Minnesota Twins |


Rochester starter DJ Herz stifles Saints in Red Wings 6-3 win

Minnesota Twins |


Saints shut out Red Wings on the road in series’ game 3

Minnesota Twins |


Saints pull off split of doubleheader against Red Wings

Minnesota Twins |


Saints drop last of series to Bison

Minnesota Twins |


Festa cruises as Saints shut out Bisons 7-0

Third fatal shooting of officer in Minnesota is most in state in 40+ years

posted in: News | 0

The Minneapolis police officer fatally shot Thursday became the third Minnesota officer killed by gunfire this year, the most in more than 40 years.

The homicide of officer Jamal Mitchell happened at a time of increased assaults on officers in the state. A Minneapolis officer was also wounded in Thursday’s shooting, at least the third Minnesota officer to be injured by gunfire this year.

On average, 388 officers were assaulted each year in Minnesota in the decade up to 2019. There were an average of 1,065 officers assaulted annually between 2020 and last year, according to statistics maintained by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Most of the assaults resulted in minor or no injuries, but some officers paid the ultimate sacrifice.

“We know that attacks on police officers are on the rise in Minnesota and across the country,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said early Friday. “Jamal just happened to be the latest victim of this senseless and troubling trend. It’s become too easy to attack our police and it needs to stop”

From left, Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell, Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth. (Courtesy of the Minneapolis Police Department and the city of Burnsville)

A gunman opened fire in February in Burnsville, killing Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, who were both 27, and Burnsville firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, 40. Another Burnsville police officer was wounded.

The last time three officers were killed by gunfire in Minnesota in a single year was 1982, according to information from the national Officer Down Memorial Page. That year, Roseville officer Bruce Russell, Oakdale officer Richard Walton and Wayzata Sgt. James Anderson died in separate incidents.

On Aug. 26, 1994, two St. Paul officers — Ron Ryan Jr. and Timothy Jones — were killed by the same man.

Prior to the Burnsville shootings, Pope County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Owen was fatally shot last year and Red Lake Nation Police Officer Ryan Bialke was killed by gunfire in 2021. Before then, a Minnesota law enforcement officer hadn’t died in a shooting homicide since 2015.

There have been other fatal shootings of law enforcement recently in the region — an Algona, Iowa, officer in September, a Fargo, N.D., officer in July, and three officers in western Wisconsin on two days in April and May 2023.

Other shootings have injured officers

In St. Paul, a man shot and wounded a police officer in the ankle in December, a Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy was hurt by shrapnel when someone shot at him with a rifle in March, and a Hennepin County sheriff’s deputy was shot and injured in an exchange of gunfire in April.

The MN 100 Club, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency financial assistance to first responders or their families if they’re killed or critically injured in the line of duty, provided more than $230,000 last year to families of 14 Minnesota first responders.

“We have given over $250,000 to 10 first responders and their families already in 2024, far exceeding any amount our club has ever given,” said club treasurer Bill Kozlak. “Sadly, it’s a reflection of the ever-increasing danger first responders face.”

Around the U.S., 22 officers have been killed by gunfire this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). That was the cause of death in 49 deaths of law enforcement officers last year, 66 officers in both 2021 and 2022, and 52 officers in 2020.

In 1982, the year three officers were fatally shot in Minnesota, 98 officers were killed by gunfire around the U.S., according to ODMP. In 1994, when Ryan and Jones were killed in St. Paul, 87 officers were fatally shot across the nation.

The last time a Minneapolis officer was shot and killed in the line of duty was Melissa Schmidt in 2002; she was one of 60 officers fatally shot around the country that year.

“It’s a really hard job and it’s really hard with lots of guns on the street,” Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday night. “And it’s really hard if those folks can’t feel us unified behind them to make sure that we’re providing every single thing” for them to do their jobs “to protect all of us, but to protect themselves. Their families deserve to know they’re coming home.”

Late Thursday night, two St. Paul officers were injured when they responded to a domestic call in a Dayton’s Bluff apartment building. They tried to arrest a 37-year-old man for interference with a 911 call, but he grabbed an officer’s Taser and tried to grab the officer’s gun, according to charges filed Friday. Officers struggled with the man, and one officer suffered a broken leg and another suffered a cut to his elbow.

The Ramsey County attorney’s office charged the man with attempt to disarm a peace officer and two counts of assaulting a peace officer.

“There has been a massive increase in assaults on police officers,” said St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry on Friday. “The events of the last 24 hours in Minneapolis illustrate this at its very worst. … The police officers in this state will never fail to answer the calls for help. We need to stand with them, now more than ever.”

Related Articles

Crime & Public Safety |


Bicyclist struck and killed by Green Line train identified as St. Paul man

Crime & Public Safety |


Columbia Heights duplex fire kills man

Crime & Public Safety |


Minneapolis officer killed in ambush joined law enforcement to ‘save lives’

Crime & Public Safety |


Washington County officials cancel alert for missing, vulnerable woman

Crime & Public Safety |


Ramsey County prosecutors: St. Paul officer legally justified in shooting man in exchange of gunfire