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The Dodgers will battle the Phillies on Friday night but for the first time since 2004 Philadelphia will not have Charlie Manuel at the helm. Manuel was fired on Friday as Phillies manager after Philadelphia lost 19 of their last 23 games. Ryne Sandberg will take over as interim manager beginning Friday night against the Dodgers.
At 53-67, the Phillies are in fourth place in the National League East.
"I did not resign. I did not quit," Manuel said in a press conference on Friday, "I don't quit nothing."
Manuel, who was 3-for-18 as a player in two cups of coffee with the Dodgers in 1974 and 1975, has exactly 1,000 wins as a manager in parts of 12 seasons, including three with the Indians and the last nine in Philadelphia.
Sandberg was the Phillies' third base coach under Manuel this season after six years as a minor league manager, four in the Cubs' system and the last two with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the Phillies' affliliate in the International League. First base coach Juan Samuel will move to third base, and assistant hitting coach Wally Joyner will be the new first base coach.
Sandberg's first game as manager will feature Cliff Lee on the mound. The Phillies have lost Lee's last four starts, thanks in part to just seven total runs of support in those games. But Lee also has a 5.63 ERA in those four games with seven home runs allowed in 24 innings.
Zack Greinke has allowed nine total runs in his last seven starts, with a 1.66 ERA during that span. The Dodgers have won nine of his last 10 starts.
Andre Ethier, who hit a game-tying pinch hit home run in the ninth inning on Wednesday night, is out of the lineup for a third straight game on Friday. Ethier is likely still battling a calf issue, but facing the southpaw Lee can't be discounted. Ethier is 0-for-11 lifetime against Lee with a walk and five strikeouts, though the outfielder said he could have started, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Scott Van Slyke, who was recalled Friday from Triple-A Albuquerque, starts in right field for the Dodgers. That puts Yasiel Puig in center field to start for the fifth time this season. Let the adventures begin.
Game info
Time: 4:05 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket