The Washington Nationals made two big changes hours after they were swept by the Boston Red Sox.
General manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez were fired on Sunday, the Nationals announced.
“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” team owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C. While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our Club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”
After Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, the Nationals are 37-53 and last in the National League East. Martinez helped lead Washington to its first World Series title in team history in 2019, but went 325-473 since 2020.
Martinez was hired in 2017 and was the sixth-longest tenured manager in MLB.