Padres fire manager Tingler after a late-season collapse
The San Diego Padres have fired Jayce Tingler, who presided over the biggest collapse in franchise history just a season after finishing second in voting for NL Manager of the Year.
General manager A.J. Preller announced the move Wednesday, three days after the Padres finished 79-83 and in third place in the NL West, 28 games behind San Francisco. Preller said Tingler will be given the opportunity to remain in the organization.
Tingler’s fate was sealed during a brutal freefall that saw the Padres go from a one-game lead for the NL’s second wild-card spot on Sept. 9 to being eliminated from playoff contention with seven games left. The Padres clinched their 10th losing record in 11 seasons.
Tingler was 116-106 overall in two seasons.
Tingler had no previous managerial experience above rookielevel ball and stints in various Dominican leagues before being hired on Oct. 28, 2019, by Preller, a friend from their time together in the Texas Rangers organization.
Tingler guided the Padres to a 37-23 record in the pandemicshortened 2020 season and their first playoff appearance in 13 years. They beat the St. Louis Cardinals in a wild-card series before being swept in the division series by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Led by superstars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, and with a payroll of $175 million, the Padres entered this season with World Series aspirations and played with swagger until a number of problems surfaced during the second half, on the field and in the clubhouse.
Although Tatis remains one of the frontrunners for NL MVP, he was bothered by a recurring left shoulder injury and was even moved to the outfield for a time in an attempt to lessen his exposure to injury.
The Padres failed to land a starting pitcher at the trade deadline and then saw their rotation decimated by injuries to Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Chris Paddack, with no depth available to fill in.
DEFENDING AL CHAMP RAYS TAKE ON RED SOX >> The Tampa Bay Rays have won more games than any other team in the American League over the past two seasons, going about their business with a quiet confidence that has the full attention of the Boston Red Sox.
The AL East rivals meet in a best-of-five Division Series that begins tonight at Tropicana Field, with the defending league champion Rays looking to take the first step toward a return to the World Series, where they lost to the Dodgers last fall.
With one of baseball’s lowest payrolls and a roster devoid of big names, Tampa Bay wins with a youthful, selfless blend of defense, pitching and timely hitting that’s served the team well in reaching the playoffs three consecutive years.
After dropping four straight to the Red Sox early in the season, Tampa Bay won 11 of the final 15 meetings on the way to claiming its second straight AL East crown by eight games over big-budget Boston and the even heavier spending New York Yankees.
The Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-2 at home in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night, advancing to face the Rays.
“We have some experience,” center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said Wednesday before turning his thoughts toward a talented collection of rookies who helped Tampa Bay weather a rash of injuries to win a franchise-record 100 games.
Rookie shortstop Wander Franco has played up to his billing as the top prospect in baseball since hitting a homer in his major league debut against the Red Sox in June. Young pitchers Shane McClanahan and Shane Baz, who’s only been in the majors a few weeks, are slated to start the first two games of the ALDS.
LA RUSSA BRINGS RESURGENT WHITE SOX INTO SERIES AGAINST ASTROS >> A three-time World Series winner, Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa certainly couldn’t be nervous as his team prepares for the opener of a bestof-five AL Division Series against the Houston Astros today.
Except he is — and it has nothing to do with the Hall of Famer being out of the dugout for almost a decade before the White Sox hired him prior to this season.
“I’ve been nervous my whole career,” La Russa said Wednesday. “Right now, I’m nervous because I care . ... If you’re not nervous, then do something else for a living.”
The 77-year-old La Russa returns to the postseason for the first time since winning the 2011 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals before retiring. He’ll send Lance Lynn to the mound in Game 1 to face Houston righthander Lance McCullers Jr.
Lynn had a splendid year in his first season with Chicago, going 11-6 with a career-low 2.69 ERA in 28 starts. McCullers also had a career year, setting personal marks in wins (13), ERA (3.16) and strikeouts (185).
“I feel like what I bring to the table, I have the ability to pitch with anyone,” McCullers said. “I’m excited to just get out there and give my best effort for the guys.”
It’s the second time these teams have met in the postseason. The White Sox swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series when Houston was still a member of the National League.
Lucas Giolito is set to start for the AL Central champion White Sox against left-hander Framber Valdez on Friday in Game 2.
And in the dugout, La Russa will face an old foe in Houston manager Dusty Baker, a fellow septuagenarian chasing that elusive first title.
“You know how I really feel inside,” Baker said. “I need it, and I got to have it.”