WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals have fired pitching coach Derek Lilliquist.
Minor league pitching coordinator Paul Menhart has been promoted to replace Lilliquist. General manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement Thursday, moments after the Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 in a game delayed 2½ hours by rain at the start.
The victory prevented a four-game sweep and improved Washington’s record to 13-17. Despite an imposing rotation highlighted by three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, three-time All-Star Stephen Strasburg and $140 million free agent Patrick Corbin, the Nationals began the day with a 4.95 ERA that ranked 13th out of 15 NL teams.
Ironically, Lilliquist was fired on the night Strasburg reached 1,500 strikeouts in fewer innings than any pitcher in MLB history.
Strasburg got opposing starter Dakota Hudson looking in the fifth for his eighth strikeout of the game and the 1,500th of his career — in 1,272 ¹/₃ innings. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Red Sox’s Chris Sale held the previous mark, reaching 1,500 in 2017 after 1,290 innings.