Twins, Gibson beating up on lesser competition
The Minnesota Twins are cruising against sub-.500 teams behind Kyle Gibson.
The Twinkies are 8-1 in Gibson's last nine starts versus teams with losing records. Minny takes on the lowly Milwaukee Brewers (28-47) in Wisconsin Saturday afternoon.
Oddsmakers have tabbed the Twins as slight +109 pups with an Over/Under of 8.
The Minnesota Twins are cruising against sub-.500 teams behind Kyle Gibson.
The Twinkies are 8-1 in Gibson's last nine starts versus teams with losing records. Minny takes on the lowly Milwaukee Brewers (28-47) in Wisconsin Saturday afternoon.
Oddsmakers have tabbed the Twins as slight +109 pups with an Over/Under of 8.
Preview: Rockies (33-40) at Giants (40-35)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 27, 2015 4:05 PM EDT
Matt Cain and Jake Peavy are returning to the rotation, and that could mean Tim Lincecum is headed to the bullpen again.
Another poor outing would increase that likelihood.
Lincecum will try to bounce back from the shortest start of his career Saturday against the Colorado Rockies.
San Francisco (40-35) is two games back of Los Angeles for the NL West lead, and Cain has been out for nearly a year after right elbow surgery. A back strain has limited Peavy to two starts.
Both are expected back next week, so the Giants' rotation is about to undergo changes.
"You just go about your business, and whoever makes the decision for that to happen, it's up to them," said Lincecum, who was demoted to the bullpen last summer. "You can't control that, so you've just got to worry about what you can control - and that's what you do when you get out there."
Lincecum (7-4, 3.86 ERA), a two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, has failed to make a case for himself, going 3-2 with a 7.00 ERA over his last six starts.
The right-hander was hammered for five runs and seven hits while retiring only four of the 12 batters he faced in Sunday's 10-2 loss to the Dodgers.
"My fastball location wasn't there," Lincecum said. "I'm not finishing hitters off the way I used to, and I'm giving them more chances than need be."
Lincecum is 0-3 with a 5.59 ERA over his last six starts against the Rockies (33-40), and five of those have come at home. He gave up four runs in five innings of a 4-2 home defeat April 15, and hasn't beaten them there since Sept. 18, 2012.
The Giants have dropped eight of 11 against Colorado at AT&T Park, including four straight following Friday's 8-6 loss in the opener of this three-game set.
The Rockies have won five of six games while averaging 7.7 runs and hitting .322.
Nolan Arenado is on a 13-game hitting streak, during which he's compiled a .380 average with 17 RBIs. He had a three-run shot and a solo blast Friday, giving him six homers in five games.
Carlos Gonzalez broke out of his slump in the opener, matching his career high with five hits and coming a home run shy of the cycle. He had gone 5 for 29 over his previous 10 games.
Gonzalez, though, is 1 for 11 over the last three years versus Lincecum, while Arenado is 5 for 12 (.417) with a homer.
Chris Rusin (3-2, 5.03) takes the mound after allowing three runs in six innings of a 10-4 home win over Milwaukee on Sunday. The left-hander had lost his two previous starts on the road, surrendering 13 runs and 20 hits - four homers - in 9 1-3 innings.
"When I'm more on the side of the ball, I don't get my sink," Rusin told MLB's official website. "I don't get ground balls. I get line drives, bloopers, home runs and that's where I was ... We really stuck to it, worked hard in between starts and were able to keep the ball down with sink."
Rusin scattered three hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win at San Francisco on July 27, 2013 - his only career meeting with the Giants.
He'll face Joe Panik for the first time, and the second baseman has three hits in each of the last two games. He's hitting .331 at home and is 12 for 26 in his last seven overall meetings with the Rockies.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rockies at Giants
Fri, Jun 26 Final 8 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Rockies at Giants
Sat, Jun 27 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Rockies at Giants
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:05PM EDT
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 27, 2015 4:05 PM EDT
Matt Cain and Jake Peavy are returning to the rotation, and that could mean Tim Lincecum is headed to the bullpen again.
Another poor outing would increase that likelihood.
Lincecum will try to bounce back from the shortest start of his career Saturday against the Colorado Rockies.
San Francisco (40-35) is two games back of Los Angeles for the NL West lead, and Cain has been out for nearly a year after right elbow surgery. A back strain has limited Peavy to two starts.
Both are expected back next week, so the Giants' rotation is about to undergo changes.
"You just go about your business, and whoever makes the decision for that to happen, it's up to them," said Lincecum, who was demoted to the bullpen last summer. "You can't control that, so you've just got to worry about what you can control - and that's what you do when you get out there."
Lincecum (7-4, 3.86 ERA), a two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, has failed to make a case for himself, going 3-2 with a 7.00 ERA over his last six starts.
The right-hander was hammered for five runs and seven hits while retiring only four of the 12 batters he faced in Sunday's 10-2 loss to the Dodgers.
"My fastball location wasn't there," Lincecum said. "I'm not finishing hitters off the way I used to, and I'm giving them more chances than need be."
Lincecum is 0-3 with a 5.59 ERA over his last six starts against the Rockies (33-40), and five of those have come at home. He gave up four runs in five innings of a 4-2 home defeat April 15, and hasn't beaten them there since Sept. 18, 2012.
The Giants have dropped eight of 11 against Colorado at AT&T Park, including four straight following Friday's 8-6 loss in the opener of this three-game set.
The Rockies have won five of six games while averaging 7.7 runs and hitting .322.
Nolan Arenado is on a 13-game hitting streak, during which he's compiled a .380 average with 17 RBIs. He had a three-run shot and a solo blast Friday, giving him six homers in five games.
Carlos Gonzalez broke out of his slump in the opener, matching his career high with five hits and coming a home run shy of the cycle. He had gone 5 for 29 over his previous 10 games.
Gonzalez, though, is 1 for 11 over the last three years versus Lincecum, while Arenado is 5 for 12 (.417) with a homer.
Chris Rusin (3-2, 5.03) takes the mound after allowing three runs in six innings of a 10-4 home win over Milwaukee on Sunday. The left-hander had lost his two previous starts on the road, surrendering 13 runs and 20 hits - four homers - in 9 1-3 innings.
"When I'm more on the side of the ball, I don't get my sink," Rusin told MLB's official website. "I don't get ground balls. I get line drives, bloopers, home runs and that's where I was ... We really stuck to it, worked hard in between starts and were able to keep the ball down with sink."
Rusin scattered three hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win at San Francisco on July 27, 2013 - his only career meeting with the Giants.
He'll face Joe Panik for the first time, and the second baseman has three hits in each of the last two games. He's hitting .331 at home and is 12 for 26 in his last seven overall meetings with the Rockies.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rockies at Giants
Fri, Jun 26 Final 8 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Rockies at Giants
Sat, Jun 27 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Rockies at Giants
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:05PM EDT
Preview: Mariners (34-40) at Angels (37-37)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 27, 2015 7:15 PM EDT
The Los Angeles Angels have been hugging .500 for the better part of 22 games since reaching a season-best four over on June 1, and their inability to string much together has much to do with a 5.15 ERA since that high-water mark.
More consistency from Garrett Richards could help, and matchups with Seattle have always treated him well. He'll try to nail that point home Saturday night at Angel Stadium, but it's the Mariners with a shot at taking the first two of the three-game series.
The Mariners (34-40) won 3-1 Friday to sent the Angels (37-37) back to level for the eighth time in 19 games. Robinson Cano hit just his fourth home run of the season, but two have come in the last four games. Teammate Mark Trumbo was 1 for 3 in his return to Los Angeles for his only hit in his last 20 at_bats at the park.
Over the last 20 games, Los Angeles has been more than one game over or under .500 only twice, and Richards (7-5, 3.66 ERA) has been a part of the shuffled deck of wins and losses. In his latest outing, he gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings of Sunday's 3-2 loss in Oakland.
"I felt like I had good command of all three of my pitches," Richards said.
But there's also no denying the Angels need more from the 27-year-old. By this point last season, Richards had found his groove with an 8-2 record, 2.76 ERA and .203 opponent batting average through 16 starts. His OBA is 25 points higher, which might not sound terrible, but add in that his walks per nine innings has jumped to 3.66 this year from 2.72 last season, and inconsistency is understandable.
At home, however, he's been right there with his 2014 self. The right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA and .188 OBA in six starts at Angel Stadium as opposed to 3-4 with 5.17 and .267 marks in seven on the road.
Richards last faced Seattle on May 5 and limited the AL West foe to one run and five hits in seven innings to improve to 3-1 with a 1.66 ERA and .174 OBA in six career starts in the series. He's gone at least seven innings in each and surrendered just two runs in 29 1-3 innings of the last four starts.
Cano is 5 for 14 against him, but Austin Jackson (1 for 13), Nelson Cruz (2 for 14) and Brad Miller (2 for 11) have all struggled.
Richards will face J.A. Happ, who hasn't been able to land on the right side of a decision since May 9.
After Sunday's 6-2 home loss to Houston, Happ (3-4, 3.78) has a three-start losing streak and is winless in his last eight. The left-hander's 4.24 ERA over that stretch is in line with his career numbers, but he has a 2.45 run-support average in that span.
His manager is starting to feel for him after allowing three runs -two earned - and seven hits in five innings.
"I thought J.A. pitched behind in the count early in the ballgame, but as the game went on I thought he started to find his groove," Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website. "Really, if you think about it, he pitched well enough to win the day."
Another loss would match four-start losing streaks in 2011 and 2012 as his longest, and his three losses in as many starts against the Angels with a 9.82 ERA doesn't bode well for avoiding that. Kole Calhoun (3 for 4 with a home run), Chris Iannetta (4 for 7 with a homer) and Erick Aybar (3 for 7) have had success against Happ.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Mariners at Angels
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Mariners at Angels
Sat, Jun 27 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 3
Mariners at Angels
Sun, Jun 28 - 3:35PM EDT
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 27, 2015 7:15 PM EDT
The Los Angeles Angels have been hugging .500 for the better part of 22 games since reaching a season-best four over on June 1, and their inability to string much together has much to do with a 5.15 ERA since that high-water mark.
More consistency from Garrett Richards could help, and matchups with Seattle have always treated him well. He'll try to nail that point home Saturday night at Angel Stadium, but it's the Mariners with a shot at taking the first two of the three-game series.
The Mariners (34-40) won 3-1 Friday to sent the Angels (37-37) back to level for the eighth time in 19 games. Robinson Cano hit just his fourth home run of the season, but two have come in the last four games. Teammate Mark Trumbo was 1 for 3 in his return to Los Angeles for his only hit in his last 20 at_bats at the park.
Over the last 20 games, Los Angeles has been more than one game over or under .500 only twice, and Richards (7-5, 3.66 ERA) has been a part of the shuffled deck of wins and losses. In his latest outing, he gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings of Sunday's 3-2 loss in Oakland.
"I felt like I had good command of all three of my pitches," Richards said.
But there's also no denying the Angels need more from the 27-year-old. By this point last season, Richards had found his groove with an 8-2 record, 2.76 ERA and .203 opponent batting average through 16 starts. His OBA is 25 points higher, which might not sound terrible, but add in that his walks per nine innings has jumped to 3.66 this year from 2.72 last season, and inconsistency is understandable.
At home, however, he's been right there with his 2014 self. The right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA and .188 OBA in six starts at Angel Stadium as opposed to 3-4 with 5.17 and .267 marks in seven on the road.
Richards last faced Seattle on May 5 and limited the AL West foe to one run and five hits in seven innings to improve to 3-1 with a 1.66 ERA and .174 OBA in six career starts in the series. He's gone at least seven innings in each and surrendered just two runs in 29 1-3 innings of the last four starts.
Cano is 5 for 14 against him, but Austin Jackson (1 for 13), Nelson Cruz (2 for 14) and Brad Miller (2 for 11) have all struggled.
Richards will face J.A. Happ, who hasn't been able to land on the right side of a decision since May 9.
After Sunday's 6-2 home loss to Houston, Happ (3-4, 3.78) has a three-start losing streak and is winless in his last eight. The left-hander's 4.24 ERA over that stretch is in line with his career numbers, but he has a 2.45 run-support average in that span.
His manager is starting to feel for him after allowing three runs -two earned - and seven hits in five innings.
"I thought J.A. pitched behind in the count early in the ballgame, but as the game went on I thought he started to find his groove," Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website. "Really, if you think about it, he pitched well enough to win the day."
Another loss would match four-start losing streaks in 2011 and 2012 as his longest, and his three losses in as many starts against the Angels with a 9.82 ERA doesn't bode well for avoiding that. Kole Calhoun (3 for 4 with a home run), Chris Iannetta (4 for 7 with a homer) and Erick Aybar (3 for 7) have had success against Happ.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Mariners at Angels
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Mariners at Angels
Sat, Jun 27 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 3
Mariners at Angels
Sun, Jun 28 - 3:35PM EDT
Which team is on an 8-game Over streak?
The Philadelphia Phillies have been participating in a lot of high-scoring games lately, and Over bettors are reaping the rewards.
The Over has paid out in each of the Phillies' last seven games. Philly turns to southpaw Adam Morgan on the bump for Friday's clash with the Washington Nationals. The Nats are slated to counter with Gio Gonzalez.
Sportsbooks are currently dealing an 8 run total for the NL matchup.
The Philadelphia Phillies have been participating in a lot of high-scoring games lately, and Over bettors are reaping the rewards.
The Over has paid out in each of the Phillies' last seven games. Philly turns to southpaw Adam Morgan on the bump for Friday's clash with the Washington Nationals. The Nats are slated to counter with Gio Gonzalez.
Sportsbooks are currently dealing an 8 run total for the NL matchup.
Preview: Diamondbacks (35-38) at Padres (36-40)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 27, 2015 10:10 PM EDT
The San Diego Padres have not won consecutive games in three weeks, and will rely on one of their most disappointing starting pitchers to accomplish the feat Saturday night.
Stuck in a monthlong slump, Andrew Cashner takes the mound looking to regain his top form against the team he most recently struggled against, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cashner (2-9, 4.35) had a 3.00 ERA through his first 10 starts, posting a 1.27 WHIP for San Diego (36-40). But in his last five, the right-hander has a 7.62 ERA and 1.85 WHIP.
He's failed to reach 100 pitches in his last four, with Sunday's four-inning stint in which he allowed seven runs - three earned - over four innings in a 7-2 loss to Arizona (35-38) registering as his shortest of the season.
"You make your own breaks," Cashner told MLB's official website. "I have to stop the bleeding at some point."
Perhaps most surprising during Cashner's recent skid has been the lack of strikeouts. After punching out 12 batters on June 1, Cashner has failed to strike out six in any of his four starts - a feat he managed in eight of his first 11 outings.
He struck out 4.80 batters for every walk up until his last four outings, when he has 14 walks to 11 strikeouts.
"It's one of the toughest stretches I've been through for sure," Cashner said. "You just have to show up, put it behind you and keep going forward."
He'll follow Tyson Ross, who held the Diamondbacks for two hits in six innings of a 4-2 win on Friday. Paul Goldschmidt drove in both Diamondback runs, but was outdone by RBIs from Matt Kemp, Yonder Alonso and Justin Upton.
The Padres last won consecutive games during a four-game streak June 2-6, and have gone 7-12 since.
"We're not on all cylinders by any stretch of the imagination," said interim manager Pat Murphy. "We're real pleased ... that was an overall great game tonight."
Unlike his counterpart Saturday, Arizona's Jeremy Hellickson (5-4, 4.94) has been a vision of consistency in recent weeks. The right-hander has allowed two runs in six innings five times in his last seven starts, and posted exactly that stat line in Sunday's win over Cashner.
Hellickson left after only 84 pitches due to a back injury, but felt no discomfort in this week's bullpen sessions.
"Monday morning really was the only day I had trouble - just getting out of bed," Hellickson said. "I haven't really felt anything since then."
Hellickson's first two meetings with the Padres did not go as smoothly, as he was smacked around for five runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 5-1 loss on April 14, then again allowed five runs and was chased after 4 2-3 of a 6-5 defeat May 8.
Goldschmidt has hit safely in seven straight and is 6 for 17 with a home run against Cashner. He has reached base in 67 of 73 games this season and 25 of his last 26 against San Diego.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Padres
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sat, Jun 27 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:10PM EDT
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 27, 2015 10:10 PM EDT
The San Diego Padres have not won consecutive games in three weeks, and will rely on one of their most disappointing starting pitchers to accomplish the feat Saturday night.
Stuck in a monthlong slump, Andrew Cashner takes the mound looking to regain his top form against the team he most recently struggled against, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cashner (2-9, 4.35) had a 3.00 ERA through his first 10 starts, posting a 1.27 WHIP for San Diego (36-40). But in his last five, the right-hander has a 7.62 ERA and 1.85 WHIP.
He's failed to reach 100 pitches in his last four, with Sunday's four-inning stint in which he allowed seven runs - three earned - over four innings in a 7-2 loss to Arizona (35-38) registering as his shortest of the season.
"You make your own breaks," Cashner told MLB's official website. "I have to stop the bleeding at some point."
Perhaps most surprising during Cashner's recent skid has been the lack of strikeouts. After punching out 12 batters on June 1, Cashner has failed to strike out six in any of his four starts - a feat he managed in eight of his first 11 outings.
He struck out 4.80 batters for every walk up until his last four outings, when he has 14 walks to 11 strikeouts.
"It's one of the toughest stretches I've been through for sure," Cashner said. "You just have to show up, put it behind you and keep going forward."
He'll follow Tyson Ross, who held the Diamondbacks for two hits in six innings of a 4-2 win on Friday. Paul Goldschmidt drove in both Diamondback runs, but was outdone by RBIs from Matt Kemp, Yonder Alonso and Justin Upton.
The Padres last won consecutive games during a four-game streak June 2-6, and have gone 7-12 since.
"We're not on all cylinders by any stretch of the imagination," said interim manager Pat Murphy. "We're real pleased ... that was an overall great game tonight."
Unlike his counterpart Saturday, Arizona's Jeremy Hellickson (5-4, 4.94) has been a vision of consistency in recent weeks. The right-hander has allowed two runs in six innings five times in his last seven starts, and posted exactly that stat line in Sunday's win over Cashner.
Hellickson left after only 84 pitches due to a back injury, but felt no discomfort in this week's bullpen sessions.
"Monday morning really was the only day I had trouble - just getting out of bed," Hellickson said. "I haven't really felt anything since then."
Hellickson's first two meetings with the Padres did not go as smoothly, as he was smacked around for five runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 5-1 loss on April 14, then again allowed five runs and was chased after 4 2-3 of a 6-5 defeat May 8.
Goldschmidt has hit safely in seven straight and is 6 for 17 with a home run against Cashner. He has reached base in 67 of 73 games this season and 25 of his last 26 against San Diego.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Padres
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sat, Jun 27 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:10PM EDT
Preview: Mercury (3-4) at Lynx (6-2)
Date: June 27, 2015 8:00 PM EDT
Brittney Griner is eager to make her season debut after being entangled in a series of troubling off-court episodes.
The 6-foot-8 star will return to the Phoenix Mercury lineup Saturday night against the Minnesota Lynx having served her record seven-game suspension after a domestic violence arrest in April.
'Basketball is my safe zone, being back on the court means everything for me, basketball is my life,' Griner said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. 'I'm ready to go. I definitely have been watching and I have been doing everything off the court to be on the court.'
Besides the WNBA suspension, Griner pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and agreed to undergo 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling. If she completes it, the charges will be dismissed. Griner and her then-fiancee Glory Johnson were arrested April 22 at their home in the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear.
It's been a crazy nine months for Griner since she helped the Mercury win the WNBA championship in September. First, she was the victim of a random knife attack in China, where she suffered a small cut when she was struck by a man while boarding a bus after practice last November.
Then there was the soap opera of the past few months with Johnson. The two All-Stars were arrested and then married a few weeks later. On June 4, Johnson announced via Instagram that she was pregnant through in vitro fertilization. A day later Griner said she was filing for an annulment.
Griner said her largest takeaway from the whirlwind six weeks was to 'listen to your gut. That's kind of like the biggest thing right now. If you see warning signs, listen to your gut. Get that gut feeling, take a step back.'
Last season's Defensive Player of the Year isn't the only one happy she's playing again.
'We're definitely a different team with her in the middle,' Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. 'The good news, at least, is that even though she was suspended, she was able to practice with us so she's already familiar with this group.'
Griner, who has been playing 3-on-3 full court to get in game shape, averaged 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over three games as Phoenix beat the Lynx in the Western Conference finals.
In the final game of her suspension, the Mercury (3-4) lost to previously winless San Antonio 76-71 on Thursday. DeWanna Bonner had 17 points for Phoenix, which missed its first 10 shots and trailed 17-9 after one quarter.
Bonner led three Mercury starters in double figures with 17 points in an 81-66 win over the Mercury on June 14, their fourth victory in the last five regular-season meetings.
The Lynx (6-2) won for the third time in four games since that matchup Thursday, rallying from 18 down to beat Seattle 76-73. Damiris Dantas converted a go-ahead 3-point play with 18 seconds left to give Minnesota its first lead since being up 2-0.
Seimone Augustus led Minnesota with 24 points and moved past Chamique Holdsclaw for 16th place on the WNBA scoring list.
The Lynx missed all nine 3-point attempts against Phoenix earlier this month.
WNBA HEAD TO HEAD
Jun 14, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN 66 Under: 147
PHO « 81 Cover: 23
Tools:
Sep 2, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 78 Over: 174
PHO « 96 Cover: 13
Tools:
Aug 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 77 Under: 159
MIN « 82 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps
Aug 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 71 Under: 156
PHO « 85 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps
Aug 9, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 80 Cover: 3
PHO « 82 Over: 162
Tools: Recaps
Jul 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 67 Under: 142
MIN « 75 Cover: 6
Tools: Recaps
Jun 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 79 Over: 171
PHO « 92 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 80 Cover: 13.5
MIN 72 Under: 152
Tools: Recaps
Date: June 27, 2015 8:00 PM EDT
Brittney Griner is eager to make her season debut after being entangled in a series of troubling off-court episodes.
The 6-foot-8 star will return to the Phoenix Mercury lineup Saturday night against the Minnesota Lynx having served her record seven-game suspension after a domestic violence arrest in April.
'Basketball is my safe zone, being back on the court means everything for me, basketball is my life,' Griner said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. 'I'm ready to go. I definitely have been watching and I have been doing everything off the court to be on the court.'
Besides the WNBA suspension, Griner pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and agreed to undergo 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling. If she completes it, the charges will be dismissed. Griner and her then-fiancee Glory Johnson were arrested April 22 at their home in the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear.
It's been a crazy nine months for Griner since she helped the Mercury win the WNBA championship in September. First, she was the victim of a random knife attack in China, where she suffered a small cut when she was struck by a man while boarding a bus after practice last November.
Then there was the soap opera of the past few months with Johnson. The two All-Stars were arrested and then married a few weeks later. On June 4, Johnson announced via Instagram that she was pregnant through in vitro fertilization. A day later Griner said she was filing for an annulment.
Griner said her largest takeaway from the whirlwind six weeks was to 'listen to your gut. That's kind of like the biggest thing right now. If you see warning signs, listen to your gut. Get that gut feeling, take a step back.'
Last season's Defensive Player of the Year isn't the only one happy she's playing again.
'We're definitely a different team with her in the middle,' Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. 'The good news, at least, is that even though she was suspended, she was able to practice with us so she's already familiar with this group.'
Griner, who has been playing 3-on-3 full court to get in game shape, averaged 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over three games as Phoenix beat the Lynx in the Western Conference finals.
In the final game of her suspension, the Mercury (3-4) lost to previously winless San Antonio 76-71 on Thursday. DeWanna Bonner had 17 points for Phoenix, which missed its first 10 shots and trailed 17-9 after one quarter.
Bonner led three Mercury starters in double figures with 17 points in an 81-66 win over the Mercury on June 14, their fourth victory in the last five regular-season meetings.
The Lynx (6-2) won for the third time in four games since that matchup Thursday, rallying from 18 down to beat Seattle 76-73. Damiris Dantas converted a go-ahead 3-point play with 18 seconds left to give Minnesota its first lead since being up 2-0.
Seimone Augustus led Minnesota with 24 points and moved past Chamique Holdsclaw for 16th place on the WNBA scoring list.
The Lynx missed all nine 3-point attempts against Phoenix earlier this month.
WNBA HEAD TO HEAD
Jun 14, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN 66 Under: 147
PHO « 81 Cover: 23
Tools:
Sep 2, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 78 Over: 174
PHO « 96 Cover: 13
Tools:
Aug 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 77 Under: 159
MIN « 82 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps
Aug 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 71 Under: 156
PHO « 85 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps
Aug 9, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 80 Cover: 3
PHO « 82 Over: 162
Tools: Recaps
Jul 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 67 Under: 142
MIN « 75 Cover: 6
Tools: Recaps
Jun 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 79 Over: 171
PHO « 92 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 80 Cover: 13.5
MIN 72 Under: 152
Tools: Recaps
