Skidding Padres dump Green
SAN DIEGO — Andy Green was fired as manager of the Padres on Saturday morning, about 12 hours after one of their worst losses this season seemed to sum up their second-half collapse.
General manager A.J. Preller said Green, in his fourth season, was fired because the team had regressed in the second half.
The Padres were 45-45 at the All-Star break but have lost eight of nine, including a mistake-filled 9-0 loss to the Diamondbacks on Friday night that dropped them to 69-85. They became the first team to change managers this season.
“We feel like we’ve got a young, talented group that has a chance to be competitive,” Preller said. “We made some progress in the earlier part of season, but as the second half went on we didn’t see the team getting into a spot where we could see continual improvement.
“We feel like a different person in that chair has a chance to take (this) group into a different spot.”
Green was 274-366 since he was hired ahead of the 2016 season. The Padres lost 90 or more games in each of his three full years and are assured of their ninth straight losing record.
Rod Barajas, in his first season as bench coach, took over on an interim basis Saturday night against the Diamondbacks.
Although the Padres were rebuilding, the season started with promise after the signing of Manny Machado to a $300 million contract and the promotion of top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. on opening day. Tatis quickly became the Padres’ most exciting player, but he was shut down in August with a stress reaction in his back.
Rookies Keston Hiura and Trent Grisham hit two-run homers and the Brewers increased their edge for the second NL wild card to three games with a 10-1 rout of the Pirates. The Brewers have won seven of eight and are 9-2 since losing the injured Christian Yelich.
Ya d i e r Molina and Paul DeJong homered on Craig Kimbrel’s first two pitches in the ninth inning as the Cardinals handed the reeling Cubs their fifth straight loss 9-8. Marcell Ozuna also connected as the NL Central-leading Cardinals won for the fifth time in six games. The Cubs got pinch homers from Ian Happ and Tony Kemp and a solo drive by rookie Nico Hoerner as they carried an 8-7 lead into the ninth. But Kimbrel (0-4) was hit hard again. The Cubs are three games out of wild-card position.
Brian Dozier’s go-ahead RBI single in a six-run 10th led the Nationals past the Marlins 10-4. The Nationals lead the NL wild-card race, one game ahead of the Brewers.
Nate Lowe hit a walk-off two-run homer in the 11th as the Rays edged the Red Sox 5-4 to move one game ahead of the Indians for the second AL wild card. The Rays won their third straight, all in 11 innings. Mitch Moreland put the Red Sox ahead 4-3 with a two-out homer in the 11th. But Travis d’Arnaud doubled in the bottom half before Lowe’s opposite-field drive.
Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer and Brad Miller hit a pair as the Phillies stayed five games out of an NL wild-card spot by beating the Indians 9-4. Rookie Oscar Mercado hit a two-run homer for the Indians, who fell one game behind the Rays for the AL’s second wild card.
The Astros remained one game shy of their third straight AL West title, wasting a chance to clinch when Wade Miley was hit hard in an 8-4 loss to the Angels that ended a six-game winning streak. The Astros need one more win or a loss by the A’s.
Closer Taylor Rogers got tagged during the Royals’ seven-run ninth as the AL Central leaders fell 12-5. Rogers gave up three runs on three hits while getting just one out. The Twins stayed four games ahead of the Indians.
Giancarlo Stanton homered for the first time since missing nearly three months to injury, James Paxton won his 10th straight start and the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 7-2. Yanks manager Aaron Boone was ejected after another tangle with a rookie umpire, and the 101-win Yankees got promising news shortly before first pitch when an MRI of Gleyber Torres’ right hamstring came back negative.
Christian Colon’s pinch two-out single broke an eighth-inning tie, giving the Reds a 3-2 victory and dropping the Mets 41⁄
2 games out of the second NL wild card.
Max Fried strengthened his case for a spot in the postseason rotation by throwing 51⁄ score
3 less innings in an 8-1 victory over the Giants. The Giants dropped to 71-81, ensuring that Bruce Bochy will not have a winning record in his final season as their manager.