Phillies fire manager after losing 11 of last 12 games

It’s been a disastrous start to the 2026 season for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The team reeled off a four-game win streak at the end of March and beginning of April, but since then, the Phillies have fallen off a cliff.

Philadelphia’s 6-2 defeat to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday — the team’s 11th loss in its last 12 games — was the last straw for manager Rob Thomson. The 9-19 start — Philadelphia’s worst in over two decades — ended up costing Thomson his job.

“The Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson, sources told ESPN. Don Mattingly will take over as interim manager,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on X.

Thomson, who signed a contract extension in the offseason that locked him up through the 2027 season, had been with the Phillies since 2022, posting a 355-270 managerial record with four playoff appearances and two division titles. He took the Philles to the World Series in his first season, where they lost in six games to the Houston Astros.

Philadelphia made it to the NLCS the following year before losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games. They Phillies were ousted in the NLDS the last two seasons.

Mattingly has an 889-950 record as a manager across stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins with four playoff appearances, and three division titles. He was given the job after former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora was offered the job and reportedly turned it down to spend time with his family.

In addition to Thomson’s firing, the Phillies also announced third-base coach Dusty Wathan was being promoted to bench coach.