Cairo Takes Over as Washington Fires Manager and President of Baseball Operations After Loss to Boston
In a shocking turn of events, the Washington Nationals have fired both their manager, Dave Martinez, and their president of baseball operations, Mike Rizzo, just hours after a disappointing 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
But amidst the chaos, there were some standout moments on the field. In the seventh inning, Nationals player Wood hit a solo home run with an impressive exit velocity of 115.9 mph, sending the ball soaring 433 feet to center field.
And it wasn’t just Wood who made an impact. Lowe, with his 14th homer of the season, gave Washington an early lead in the first inning. The Nationals then added three more runs in the sixth, thanks to an RBI double by Alex Call and a bloop single by Jacob Young with the bases loaded, scoring two runs.
Despite these strong performances, it wasn’t enough to save Martinez and Rizzo’s jobs. The Nationals will now turn to Cairo to lead the team as they search for a new manager and president of baseball operations. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
Cairo Leads Nationals to Victory After Firing of Manager and President
By The Associated Press
Jul. 10, 2025 | 07:10 AM | ST. LOUIS
In a shocking turn of events, the Washington Nationals have fired manager Dave Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo. But their replacement, bench coach Cairo, proved to be the key to the Nationals’ success as they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 on Wednesday.
Wood’s Impressive Performance Leads Nationals to Victory
In the seventh inning, Nationals’ pitcher Wood hit a solo homer with an exit velocity of 115.9 mph and a distance of 433 feet to center field. This impressive feat helped secure the Nationals’ win and also earned Wood a spot in the All-Star game and Home Run Derby.
Lowe and Young Contribute to Nationals’ Early Lead
In the first inning, Lowe hit his 14th homer of the season, giving the Nationals an early lead. They added three more runs in the sixth, thanks to an RBI double by Alex Call and a bloop single by Jacob Young with the bases loaded.
Rosario and Gore Lead Cardinals’ Efforts
Amed Rosario’s solo homer in the fifth inning and MacKenzie Gore’s strong pitching performance were not enough to overcome the Nationals. Gore pitched six innings, giving up only one run and striking out seven, but the Cardinals still fell short.
Cairo’s First Win as Nationals’ Manager
While this may have been Cairo’s first win as the Nationals’ manager, it was not his first in the majors. He previously served as bench coach for Tony La Russa with the Chicago White Sox and even had a successful stint as interim manager when La Russa went on medical leave.
Up Next
The Nationals will send Michael Soroka to the mound to face Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals on Thursday.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras slams his down his helmet after flying out to end the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
