SAN DIEGO (AP) — The slumping San Diego Padres fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild on Monday.
The 67-year-old Rothschild has been with the Padres for the past two seasons. San Diego has lost nine of its past 11 games and has fallen to third place in the National League West, 13 games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants.
The Padres fell one game behind the Cincinatti Reds for the second and final NL Wild Card after losing on Sunday.
Ben Fritz will be the interim pitching coach for the rest of the season. Manager Jayce Tingler is expected to address the media later on Monday.
“Larry has been a tremendous asset for our organization over the last two seasons, and we appreciate the experience, hard work and dedication that he brought to the position,” Tingler said in a statement released by the team. “We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
After a good start to the season, San Diego’s pitching staff has struggled, especially in recent weeks. The group has a 4.82 ERA in August.
Three of the Padres’ main starting pitchers — Yu Darvish, Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet — are currently on the injured list. So is Drew Pomeranz, one of the team’s top relievers.
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