MLB roundup: Avila fired as Tigers general manager

DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers fired general manager Al Avila on Wednesday, ending a seven-year tenure without a playoff appearance.

“I wish the results would have been better this season,” Avila said in a statement released by the team. “But know there is a lot to look forward to in the coming years.”

Owner Chris Ilitch announced the move with his team mired in another disappointing season. Detroit entered Wednesday at 43-68, last in the AL Central.

“I want to reestablish our momentum and progress towards building a winning team and I am driven to find a talented executive to help us do that,” Ilitch said in a statement before meeting with reporters as the team prepared to host Cleveland.

Assistant general manager Sam Menzin takes over the day-to-day leadership role.

Avila was promoted to general manager on Aug. 4, 2015, after serving as Dave Dombrowski’s assistant.

Avila’s chance to lead the team coincided with a rebuilding process that prevented him from making short-term moves to win.

The Tigers lost, a lot, and Avila attempted to lead a turnaround by drafting and developing players. He finally got the freedom to spend money this past offseason, but his two biggest investments haven’t panned out.

Javier Báez, signed to a $140 million contract to address a desperate need at shortstop, has struggled in the field and at the plate. Avila also gave Eduardo Rodríguez a $77 million, five-year contract, but the left-hander went on the restricted list because of personal matters in June after pitching only 39 innings.

Detroit seemed poised for a breakthrough after winning 77 games in 2021, its best record since 2016, which was its only winning season under Avila.

PIRATES: The moment was hilarious because it was so relatable.

Pittsburgh infielder Rodolfo Castro and third-base coach Mike Rabelo stood and stared, mortified, at a smartphone that had mistakenly made its way onto a Major League Baseball field Tuesday night. Third-base umpire Adam Hamari had the perfect reaction, pointing at the phone that had come loose out of Castro’s back pocket during a slide, trying not to giggle at the absurdity of the situation.

Those around the sport cringed along with them.

“That’s obviously not something that should happen,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said.

“I just remember getting dressed, putting my pants on, getting something to eat, using the restroom,” Castro said through a translator Tuesday night after the Pirates lost 6-4 to Arizona. “Never did it ever cross my mind that I still had my cellphone on me.”

MLB, which does not allow cellphones on the field, had not announced any sort of punishment for Castro as of Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m sure we’ll hear from the league, but I feel like everybody, including the umpires – which, again, they handled it great – it was a young kid who made a mistake and put his phone in his pocket,” Pirates Manager Derek Shelton said. “There was no intent to use it or do anything with it.”

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

MARINERS 4, YANKEES 3: Carlos Santana snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a go-ahead two-run homer during Seattle’s three-run seventh inning, and the Mariners rallied to beat visiting New York.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 45th homer of the season for the Yankees, who have lost eight of 10.

BREWERS 4, RAYS 3: Rowdy Tellez hit a tying homer in the ninth inning and made a key defensive play in the 10th, setting up Willy Adames’ game-ending RBI single that gave Milwaukee a win at home.

Adames had struck out in his previous three at-bats before he came up in the 10th following an intentional walk to Christian Yelich. His grounder off Ryan Thompson (3-3) got past diving shortstop Taylor Walls and scored automatic runner Tyrone Taylor from second base.

METS 10, REDS 2: Francisco Lindor scored three runs, tying a franchise record by crossing the plate in 13 consecutive games, and host New York breezed to its sixth straight win.

Lindor was 2 for 3 with a walk and a two-run single in the second inning that increased his RBI total to 82, matching Jose Reyes in 2006 for the most by a Mets shortstop.

Lindor’s run-scoring streak is the longest in the majors this season and matched David Wright (July 13-29, 2008) for the longest in Mets history.

Taijuan Walker (10-3) pitched six solid innings to reach double-digit wins for the first time since he went 11-8 for Seattle in 2015. Trade-deadline addition Daniel Vogelbach drove in three runs, Tyler Naquin homered and Pete Alonso had three hits for the NL East-leading Mets.

New York has the second-best record in the majors (73-39) and outscored Cincinnati 21-5 in the three-game sweep. The Mets have not trailed during their six-game run, winning every game by three runs or more.

PADRES 13, GIANTS 7: Brandon Drury hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the sixth inning and Austin Nola’s two-run homer capped a seven-run rally – all with two outs – that carried San Diego to a wild win over visiting San Francisco.

CUBS 4, NATIONALS 2: Nico Hoerner homered to ignite a four-run rally in the seventh inning that sent Chicago to a win over visiting Washington.

Hoerner’s seventh home run ended a shutout bid by Nationals starter Josiah Gray and enabled the Cubs to earn just their second win in 51 games in which they trailed entering the seventh.

Former Portland Sea Dogs player Joey Meneses, who made his major league debut on Aug. 2 at age 30, homered in his third straight game for the Nationals. He became the first player in Nationals history to homer four times in his first seven games.

ANGELS 5, ATHLETICS 4: Magneuris Sierra hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, then doubled home the go-ahead run in the 12th as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep in Oakland.

PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 3: JT Realmuto hit an RBI single that capped a three-run rally in the eighth inning off NL ERA leader Sandy Alcantara, and Philadelphia beat visiting Miami for its seventh straight win.

Kyle Schwarber had three hits and drove in two runs as the Phillies won for the 12th time in 13 games. They are 41-19 since June 1, vaulting them into second place in the wild-card race.

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