ST LOUIS – By the time they took the field tonight, the Nationals had ample time to process the events of the last 48 hours. Not only did they have an off-day after arriving in St. Louis late Sunday night to consider the firing of their longtime general manager and manager, they also had a two-hour, 19-minute rain delay that pushed back first pitch of their series opener at Busch Stadium until 9:04 p.m. local time.

The question then was: What kind of effort would they give in their first game under an interim manager and GM? Would they be inspired by the shocking changes, or would they have trouble summoning up the energy to right this wayward ship?

The answer: The effort was fine, but the performance was pedestrian.

With Jake Irvin surrendering a pair of home runs and the Nationals lineup managing only one rally over the course of nine innings, Miguel Cairo found himself on the wrong end of a 4-2 loss to the Cardinals in his debut as the team’s interim manager. Mike DeBartolo, in his first game as interim GM, watched it all unfold from a booth adjacent to the press box, the one game he’ll watch in person this week as he now heads back to D.C. to oversee preparations for the No. 1 pick in Sunday’s MLB Draft.

All things considered, this didn’t look much different from a game the Nats could have played with Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez in charge. Not that the result of one game should offer definitive proof one way or the other about the team’s chances for improvement in the wake of major change.

Bryan Baker turned to watch the flight of another baseball heading for the center field fence. He stood with his hand on his hip, certain of the outcome. Pete Alonso knew it, too, carrying his bat most of the way to first base before flipping it in celebration.

A pair of two-run homers off Baker in the eighth inning made a 6-2 lead disappear, and the Orioles would be tested to get back up again, knowing how every loss rips into their hopes for a playoff push and increases the likelihood that the front office sells at the trade deadline.

They couldn't get back on their feet. 

The Mets scored a run against Yennier Cano in the top of the 10th inning and defeated the Orioles 7-6 before an announced Hawaiian shirt crowd of 35,200 at Camden Yards.

Juan Soto had an RBI single off Cano. The Mets loaded the bases with one out and couldn't pad their lead, but it didn't matter. Huascar Brazobán kept the automatic runner, Jackson Holliday, at second base.

ST. LOUIS – While making a point to thank the man he has replaced and the owners who have now given him an unexpected opportunity to lead a baseball operations department, interim general manager Mike DeBartolo made clear today he has been given the authority to lead the Nationals into a new direction he believes will lift them back into regular contention after six straight losing seasons since the franchise won the World Series.

“The fans are right to be frustrated. We’re all frustrated,” DeBartolo said this afternoon in his first public comments since replacing Mike Rizzo on Sunday evening. “We have a lot of interesting, exciting, young pieces to build on. We have a lot more we need to build. Simply stepping up our game is not enough. We need real change. I’m excited to bring a fresh approach, a fresh voice to this role, and integrate more data, more technology, more innovation into our decision-making across the organization at all levels, and hopefully improve the performance of our players as well.”

The man who now reports to DeBartolo as interim manager, meanwhile, made it clear he took the job only because he first received the blessing of his predecessor and close friend.

“The only approval, the only blessing that I needed, it was from my friend, Dave Martinez,” Miguel Cairo said, his eyes welling up during his first press conference in his new role. “And the reason I’m doing this right now and I took the job is because I got his blessing. If he would have told me no, I would have gone home with him, gone to see my family. But he told me to do it, continue doing what we started.”

Cairo, who served only 1 1/2 seasons as Martinez’s bench coach but has known him since the two were teammates with the Devil Rays in 1998, will lead the existing coaching staff through the remainder of the season, with two slight changes. Catching instructor Henry Blanco will now become his bench coach, and organizational mainstay Bob Henley will return to the big league staff as field coordinator.

The Washington Nationals made the following roster moves on Tuesday. Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcement.

• Agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Luis García on a one-year Major League contract
• Recalled catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester
• Placed catcher Keibert Ruiz on the 7-day Injured List (retroactive to July 6)
• Optioned right-handed pitcher Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A Rochester
• Transferred right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams to the 60-day Injured List

García, 38, comes to the Nationals after pitching in parts of 13 seasons with the Phillies (2013-18), Angels (2019, 2024), Rangers (2020), Cardinals (2021), Padres (2022-23), Red Sox (2024) and Dodgers (2025). He is 28-28 with a 4.20 ERA, 15 saves and 523 strikeouts in 573 Major League games (four starts) over that span.

A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, García has pitched in 60 or more games in three consecutive seasons coming into the year. Before he was traded to Boston at the deadline last season, he went 5-1 with a 3.71 ERA and a career-high four saves for Los Angeles (AL).

This year, García went 2-0 with a 5.27 ERA in 28 games for the Dodgers.

Millas, 27, returns to the Nationals after he played in three games for Washington from June 25-July 2. He knocked in the game-winning run with a double in the 11^th inning of the Nationals, 7-4, win over the Angels on June 29.

Cade Povich has received a second opinion on his left hip and he threw in the bullpen a few days ago. He’s scheduled for two ups in another session this afternoon.

The resumption of an injury rehab assignment is getting close. The Orioles happily will take positive news.

Povich was pulled from his first assignment at Triple-A Norfolk in late June due to recurring soreness in his hip. He hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since tossing 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings on June 15.

“Everything’s feeling good,” he said today. “I think we kind of had the idea that when I went to Norfolk everything was pretty good. In the first inning, just tried to make a play. It was kind of a freak thing. My foot kind of caught and twisted in a way that I think put a little pressure on the hip. So it could have been the same thing, it could be something a little different, but we’re just trying to work back and everything’s feeling good right now.”

Povich saw a hip specialist in Nashville to get his second opinion.

Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said initial projections have catcher Gary Sánchez missing eight to 10 weeks with a right knee sprain.

Sánchez, who’s on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday, met with doctors earlier today.

“There’s always a scenario where it could go really good for Gary and it can be a little earlier,” Mansolino said, “but I think initial estimates are probably that.”

Sánchez missed more than six weeks with right wrist inflammation. He was 18-for-61 (.295) with five home runs since returning to the active roster.

“It is gonna be tough,” Mansolino said. “He’s been swinging the bat so good. He’s carried us. He hit a lot of big homers, carried us in a lot of ways."

ST. LOUIS – Hello from Busch Stadium, where an unexpectedly new era of Nationals baseball begins tonight. There’s a week to go until the All-Star break, 72 games left to play in the season. And there’s a new general manager and manager (interim, in each case) calling the shots the rest of the way after Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez were fired following Sunday’s loss to the Red Sox.

We’ll be hearing from Mike DeBartolo and Miguel Cairo this afternoon, so plenty more to come from them on their vision for the rest of the season. One significant note to add here, though: The Nationals announced a couple more tweaks to their coaching staff this afternoon. Henry Blanco, who has been the catching instructor, will now be Cairo’s bench coach. And Bob Henley, who has held a variety of roles in the organization since the beginning, is back on the staff as major league field coordinator.

As for tonight’s game, it’s Jake Irvin on the mound for the Nats, who decided over the weekend to give MacKenzie Gore a couple extra days off after his 111-pitch start, which also sets him up to be available for next week’s All-Star Game. So it’s Irvin on normal rest in the series opener against veteran right-hander Sonny Gray for the Cardinals.

UPDATE: Some roster moves to share here, as well, since they'll probably get lost in the shuffle with the other big news of the day ... The Nationals have signed veteran reliever Luis Garcia (no relation to the second baseman who he's now teammates with) and optioned Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A Rochester. And they've placed Keibert Ruiz back on the 7-day concussion injured list, recalling Drew Millas from Rochester to take his spot. They cleared a 40-man roster spot for Garcia by transferring Trevor Williams to the 60-day IL.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Busch Stadium
Gametime: 7:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 77 degrees, wind 7 mph in from left field

With the All-Star break nearly here, the Orioles are hoping to get healthy as they battle to keep up in the race for an American League wildcard playoff berth. Although the O’s are behind last year’s home run pace, every crack of the bat lifts the hearts of everyone in Birdland. 

And that unmistakable crack of the bat also lifts the spirits of the Maryland Lottery’s Contestants of the Game. The Home Run Riches Contestant of the Game promotion, a perennial favorite for baseball and Lottery fans alike, is in full swing. 

While each home run pushes the team closer to success, each dinger also puts cash into the pockets of Contestants of the Game, who are selected in monthly drawings through August. Each winner receives $500 for being selected, and is designated as the Contestant of the Game for an upcoming Orioles matchup. They’ll also win an additional $500 for each home run or $5,000 for each grand slam hit by the Orioles during their designated game. 

So far this year, the Orioles have hit 104 home runs and 3 grand slams awarding Contestants of the Game $111,500 in prizes. Raymond Mitchell from Germantown and Rich McFadden from Edgewood each won $6,500 this year, thanks to Orioles grand slams.

Last season, the Orioles hit a total of 228 home runs and seven grand slams leading to $229,500 in prizes for the Contestants of the Game. 

When last we saw the Nationals on the field, CJ Abrams was lofting a long fly ball to left field for the final out of a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox, completing a series sweep. A frustrating loss to end the homestand, for sure, but it was immediately followed by uplifting news: James Wood and MacKenzie Gore had been voted into the All-Star Game by their peers.

When the Nats take the field again tonight in St. Louis, they will do so after the biggest shakeup this organization has experienced in a very long time. The Sunday night firings of general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez threw the franchise into chaos, and it’s probably a good thing the team was off Monday because it took more than 24 hours for the dust to settle from that seismic event.

Miguel Cairo, not Martinez, will be manager tonight against the Cardinals and presumably each of the season’s final 70 games. Mike DeBartolo, not Rizzo, will be in charge of baseball operations. Both already were well-respected club employees and are as reasonably prepared for their new assignments as possible. But both are entering uncharted waters.

There are countless questions that still need to be answered. Some of them probably need to be answered by a higher-ranking team employee than will be made available this afternoon at Busch Stadium. But for now, here’s what we need to hear from DeBartolo and Cairo as they embark on an unexpected journey for the next three months …

ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THE COACHING STAFF?
It did not initially sound like there are, but we don’t know that for sure yet. Cairo gets bumped up from bench coach to interim manager. Will he have a bench coach? Will they add that title to catching coach Henry Blanco’s responsibilities, or might they add someone new to the staff to help out? Is everyone else from Martinez’s staff staying through the season, one that essentially leaves them all with lame-duck status?

The All-Star Game is a week from today, which is the unofficial halfway point of the season.

The Orioles are playing their 90^th game tonight, against the Mets at Camden Yards, to begin their last homestand before the break. They can move eight below .500 for the first time since May 6.

Four days off before another trip to Tampa present an opportunity to process everything that’s happened and wonder exactly how they got to this point. How so many surprises attached to one team like barnacles. 

* Rather than challenge for a division title, the Orioles are stuck in last place.

* Their two best starters are Trevor Rogers and Charlie Morton.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• RHP Luis F. Castillo has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Washington Nationals named Miguel Cairo the club’s Interim Manager on Monday. Washington Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcement.

Cairo joined the Nationals as the team’s bench coach in 2024 after spending the previous season as the Minor League infield coordinator for the New York Mets. He was the bench coach with the Chicago White Sox from 2021-22 and was the Club’s acting manager for the final 34 games of the 2022 season, posting a record of 18-16. He also served as acting manager on Aug. 12, 2021 vs. New York (AL) at the Field of Dreams Game (W, 9-8) and September 7, 2021 at Texas (W, 7-2).

“Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball,” said Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo. “A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations, and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season.”

From 2018-20, Cairo worked as the Minor League infield coordinator for the New York Yankees. Following his retirement as a player in 2013, he was a special assistant to the general manager for the Cincinnati Reds until 2017.

A native of Anaco, Venezuela, Cairo is a veteran of 17 Major League seasons, with playing experience at every infield position as well as left field and right field. He made his Major League debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1996 before stints with the Chicago Cubs (1997, 2001), Tampa Bay Rays (1998-2000), St. Louis Cardinals (2001-03, 2007), New York Yankees (2004, 2006-07), New York Mets (2005), Seattle Mariners (2008), Philadelphia Phillies (2009) and Cincinnati Reds (2010-12).

The Nationals named Miguel Cairo interim manager this afternoon, promoting Davey Martinez’s bench coach in the wake of his firing Sunday evening.

Cairo will take over Tuesday night when the Nats open a three-game series in St. Louis, inheriting the same coaching staff he was a part of the last 1 1/2 seasons.

The former big league infielder was offered the job following Martinez’s dismissal Sunday after the team was swept by the Red Sox, falling to 37-53 in a season that was supposed to see the franchise take a significant step forward in a rebuilding effort that began four years ago. He took a day to consider the offer before accepting.

Triple-A manager Matt LeCroy likely was the Nationals’ other option to replace Martinez for the remainder of the season before a full managerial search is conducted by ownership and the club’s eventual permanent general manager.

Mike DeBartolo, who was named interim GM on Sunday after Mike Rizzo was fired following a 16-year tenure leading baseball operations, is now in charge of day-to-day operations. In addition to the 72 games remaining on the team’s schedule, DeBartolo also has immediate responsibilities leading the Nats into Sunday’s MLB Draft (they hold the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since they drafted Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in 2009-10) and then the July 31 trade deadline.

Mike Rizzo became the Nationals’ full-time general manager in August 2009. By that point, he had three years of experience with the organization, five months of experience as interim GM. Taking over a franchise in disarray following the mid-spring training resignation of Jim Bowden amid a scandal involving a Dominican prospect who falsified his name and age, Rizzo did plenty during those five months to convince the Lerner family and then-team president Stan Kasten he deserved the job on a permanent basis.

But there was one final task Rizzo needed to accomplish before his superiors were fully convinced: He needed to sign Stephen Strasburg before the Aug. 15 midnight deadline for all of that summer’s draft picks.

Rizzo took negotiations with agent Scott Boras down to the final minute before emerging with a deal: four years, $15.1 million, the most money ever guaranteed a major league draft pick. And in the Nationals Park conference room where he announced that successful deal in the wee hours of the morning – the same room where one year earlier Bowden announced he had not been able to sign 2008 first round pick Aaron Crow – an unsuspecting Rizzo was ambushed by Kasten with a shaving cream pie to the face.

A few days later, Rizzo officially had the GM job he long coveted. One he held for just shy of 16 years, making him one of the longest tenured heads of baseball operations in the industry. Along the way, he built a 103-loss team into a 98-win division champion, made the playoffs five times in eight seasons, won D.C.’s first World Series title since 1924, tore down the remnants of that championship roster to embark on another rebuild, traded away a likely future Hall of Famer for five prospects (three of which have since become All-Stars), hired five managers, signed five players to nine-figure contracts, signed countless more to lesser deals, acquired players who helped make the team better and in some cases worse and both butted heads with and celebrated successes with nearly everyone he worked with along the way.

Signed to five separate contract extensions over the years, Rizzo always seemed to find himself waiting until the last minute for his bosses to lock him up, an annoyance for sure but one he begrudgingly accepted as the price of holding such an important position in this organization. That’s the situation he found himself in once again this summer, waiting to see if the Lerner family was going to pick up his contract option for the following season or finally decide it was time to make a change.

Age doesn’t matter to Keagan Gillies. It’s just a number and part of his baseball journey.

What’s important is where he’s headed – from Double-A to Triple-A and to next Saturday’s All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta.

Gillies learned about his selection shortly before the Orioles bumped him another level in their farm system. Chesapeake Baysox manager Roberto Mercado delivered the news after Gillies came out of the game, ample reward for a reliever with a 1.15 ERA, 0.574 WHIP and eight saves in 26 appearances.

“I’m very pumped up. It’s gonna be a fun time,” said Gillies, the first Tulane University alumnus chosen since the Tigers’ Jake Rogers in 2019.

“It was surprising. I know I had worked hard for this, I know that I had a good season up to this point, but to be recognized in this way, it’s an honor and I’m grateful for it.

Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore and outfielder James Wood will represent the organization in the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Atlanta. Both are making their first All-Star Game appearance and both were selected by player voting. The 2025 All-Star teams were unveiled earlier this evening during the “2025 MLB All-Star Selection Show” on ESPN.

Gore, 26, entered Sunday ranked second the National League with 131 strikeouts (5^th in MLB) and 11.30 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (4^th in MLB). He ranks eighth in the National League with 104.1.0 innings pitched and he's tossed at least 6.0 innings 13 times this season, tied for the fourth-most in the National League.

Gore has pitched to a 2.44 ERA (13 ER/48.0 IP), a .213 opponents’ batting average, 47 strikeouts and just three home runs allowed in his last eight starts dating to May 23. He opened the season with a career-high and franchsie Opening Day record 13 strikeouts on March 27 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He added another 13-strikeout performance on April 19 at Colorado. Gore’s strongest outing of the first half came on June 4 vs. Chicago (NL) in which he tossed a season-high 7.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and three hits allowed in Washington’s 2-0 victory.

Wood, 22, was one of the top hitters in the National League through the All-Star break. Entering Sunday, he led National League outfielders and ranked in the National League in OPS (3^rd, .943), wOBA (4^th, .399), win probability added (3^rd, 3.22), wRC+ (5^th, 158), OPS+ 4^th, 167), RBI (4^th, 67) and home runs (5^th, 23). He ranked second among National League outfielders in slugging percentage (.553), on-base percentage (.391) and walks (57).

Wood is one of five players in Major League Baseball with at least 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases, joining Shohei Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Corbin Carroll and Juan Soto. According to Baseball Savant, Wood is in the 99^th percentile in hard hit rate (57.2%), the 98^th percentile in batting run value (26) and 97^th percentile in average exit velocity (94.0 mph). According to FanGraphs.com, Wood leads all National League left fielders with seven defensive runs saved.

A massively disappointing first half to a season that was expected to feature significant on-field progress four years into a franchise rebuild has cost the two most prominent people in the Nationals organization their jobs.

Both general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez were fired by ownership this evening, shortly after the team was swept by the Red Sox to fall to 37-53. In a statement announcing the stunning changes, managing principal owner Mark Lerner said longtime assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo will take over as interim GM in Rizzo’s stead. An interim manager to replace Martinez will be named Monday.

“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,” Lerner said. “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.”

Though the long-term fates of both Rizzo and Martinez were very much up in the air after a dismal month of June that included an 11-game losing streak, the decision to make changes at both positions right now, one week shy of the All-Star break and the MLB Draft – with the Nats holding the No. 1 overall pick – was unexpected.

Both Rizzo and Martinez had 2026 contract options that needed to be picked up sometime this month. Had they not been picked up, it was assumed both would still finish out the rest of the season before changes were made, perhaps more so in the case of the GM position than the managerial position.

The Washington Nationals today announced the replacement of longtime President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Manager Dave Martinez, citing the need for a fresh approach and new energy. Washington Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner made today’s announcement.

“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,” Lerner said. “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."

Senior Vice President & Assistant General Manager, Baseball Operations, Mike DeBartolo has been named Interim General Manager. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the upcoming MLB First-Year Player Draft, alongside other key members of the department. An announcement will be made on the interim manager sometime on Monday.

“Mike DeBartolo is a smart and thoughtful executive, and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our organization,” Lerner said. “As we hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft and look ahead to the trade deadline, we are confident in his ability to lead the baseball operations staff through these next, important months.”

DeBartolo has worked across the organization to aid in decisions affecting all facets of baseball operations, assisting with contract and trade negotiations, MLB rules, player evaluation, salary arbitration and other operations. Originally from Bedford, Mass., DeBartolo joined the Nationals in 2012 as an intern and has worked in an Assistant General Manager capacity since 2019.

Two more players acquired in the Juan Soto trade are now All-Stars: James Wood and MacKenzie Gore.

Wood and Gore were officially named to the National League All-Star team today, each of them selected by their fellow players to represent the Nationals at next week’s Midsummer Classic in Atlanta.

CJ Abrams, who played in last year’s game in Texas, was not selected this time from a deep class of NL shortstops, but there’s still a chance he could find his way to Truist Park as roster replacements are announced in the coming days.

For Wood and Gore, today’s announcement is further validation of their respective career ascensions, culminating with their performances through the first half of this season. Wood, who already accepted an invitation to the Home Run Derby last week, entered the day with a .944 OPS, third-best in the NL. Gore ranks third in the league with 131 strikeouts and 12th with a 3.11 ERA.

“Those two guys have played really well this half, and I hope they keep it going,” manager Davey Martinez said. “But it says a lot about this organization. We’d love to win some more games moving forward, but the progress for our young players has been a lot better. We’re excited about that.”

Ryan O’Hearn will have to make new friends at the All-Star Game.

The reserves and pitchers were announced today and none of the other Orioles are joining O’Hearn at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Second baseman Jackson Holliday, who went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer today in a 2-1 win over the Braves, advanced to Phase 2 of voting but didn’t have his name called.

Holliday is batting .260 with 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs and a .724 OPS in 82 games and has emerged as the everyday leadoff hitter. He’s only the fourth Oriole with multiple four-hit games before turning 22, joining Manny Machado and Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray.

Closer Félix Bautista, outfielder Ramón Laureano and shortstop Gunnar Henderson also appeared to have a chance at an All-Star selection.