Manager Dave Martinez and the Washington Nationals are careening toward rock bottom. The team has lost 10 straight games, including the last two against the Colorado Rockies, one of the worst teams in MLB history.
But general manager Mike Rizzo took to the radio on Wednesday morning, a day after the Nats’ 10-6 loss to the Rockies, to defend Martinez from a tidal wave of criticism.
“This guy has proven through trials and tribulations that he can handle a roster,” Rizzo said on “The Sports Junkies” radio show. “He can handle a veteran-laden team. And he’s developing at the big-league level.”
Coaching changes from other struggling clubs, including the Rockies and Baltimore Orioles, won’t change Rizzo’s thinking. There’s a difference between Martinez and those fired managers — Martinez won the 2019 World Series with the Nats.
Despite the struggles, Rizzo noted that he still trusts his manager to develop the young players rising through Washington’s farm system.
“Davey still has the pulse of the clubhouse. He’s a great clubhouse presence, and he’s a calming presence,” Rizzo said. “And I think that once we get through this thing and win a couple of games — which we will — that we can right the ship and continue progressing towards winning the championship, whenever that is.”
Martinez and the Nationals will try to salvage their series against the Rockies at home on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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