Apr 19, 2018 4 min read

The Cincinnati Reds’ worst start since the Great Depression prompted a quick hook for Bryan Price.

Cincinnati fired its fifth-year manager on Thursday because of a 3-15 start, the first managerial change in the major leagues this season. The Reds hadn’t changed managers so early in a season since Tony Perez was fired after 44 games in 1993.

It’s the first time since 2002 that a manager has been fired in April. Four managers were fired that April, including Phil Garner after an 0-6 start with the Tigers that matched the quickest hook in major league history.

Price managed a rebuilding effort that relied on rookies more than any other team in the majors during his tenure. The Reds have lost at least 94 games in each of the last three seasons while finishing last in the NL Central.

Although the Reds have been patient with their coaching staff during the rebuild, their worst start since 1931 prompted the change.

“We felt we had to act now, we couldn’t afford to wait,” general manager Dick Williams said during a conference call. “I know it seems early to some people and it certainly is early in the regular season, but … we’ve had a lot of chances to observe this group together and see them get off to the start we’d hoped, and it wasn’t there.”

Bench coach Jim Riggleman will manage the team on an interim basis, the fourth time in his career he’s been promoted during a season. Riggleman also has managed the Padres, Cubs, Mariners and Nationals. He’s expected to be a candidate for the full-time job. Williams said the club will pick its next manager later in the season.

Riggleman said his focus will be “to really put an exclamation point on the details of the game.” Eight of the Reds’ losses have been by two runs or less.

Second-year pitching coach Mack Jenkins also was fired Thursday. Triple-A Louisville manager Pat Kelly will be the bench coach, and Danny Darwin was promoted from Double-A Pensacola to serve as pitching coach.

National League

Chicago Cubs 8, St. Louis 5: Jon Lester was dominant through six innings of two-hit ball in his 100th start as Cub, Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer and Chicago defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5.

Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each had two RBIs as Chicago took a 6-1 lead after two innings. Every Cubs starter had a hit, including three by Anthony Rizzo and two each by Heyward, Schwarber and Javier Baez.

Lester (2-0) didn’t allow a hit until Jedd Gyorko lined a single to left with one out in the fifth. The left-hander gave a first-inning unearned run, struck out seven and walked one.

American League

Houston 9, Seattle 2: Charlie Morton pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, Jose Altuve hit a three-run double and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2.

After losing the series opener, the Astros won their third straight behind another impressive pitching performance. Morton allowed singles to Robinson Cano, Mitch Haniger and Nelson Cruz, and otherwise baffled Seattle’s lineup. In the four-game series, Houston’s starters dominated with none of the four allowing more than two earned runs.

Morton (3-0) was the best of the four. Mixing a fastball that was still in the mid-90s in the seventh inning with a good curveball, Morton struck out eight and walked none. He retired 15 straight between Haniger’s one-out single in the second inning and Cruz’s broken bat hit in the seventh. Morton didn’t allow a runner to reach second base.

Detroit 13, Baltimore 8: Leonys Martin hit his first big league grand slam, Jeimer Candelario had four hits and three RBIs, and the Detroit Tigers beat Baltimore 13-8 to extend the Orioles’ losing streak to six.

Jordan Zimmermann (1-0) gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, allowing two home runs to Manny Machado and one to Chris Davis. Zimmermann was pitching for the first time since being hit in the jaw by a line drove off the bat of Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis April 11.