HOUSTON (AP) — Manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura were fired Monday by the Houston Astros, less than two years after leading the team to its first World Series appearance.
Bench coach Cecil Cooper was appointed interim manager, and team president Tal Smith will serve as interim general manager.
"I felt this was the time for a change," owner Drayton McLane said. "I just think we needed a fresh start."
Houston slumped to 58-73 this year, nine games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs.
"We had really fallen into a pattern of so-so ball," Garner said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "We were never able to put together the run, like we made in the previous two seasons. I think there were a number of reasons for that."
Garner took over the Astros in the middle of the 2004 season after Jimy Williams was fired. The Astros went 48-26 in the second half and won 36 of their last 46 games to become the NL wild card, then defeated Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs before losing to St. Louis in Game 7 of the NL championship series.
Houston won its second straight wild-card berth in 2005 and defeated the Braves and Cardinals in the playoffs before getting swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.
TIGERS' SHEFFIELD TO DL: Gary Sheffield was put on the 15-day disabled list Monday because of a sore shoulder that caused him to slump during the second half. While Sheffield is hitting .279 with 24 homers and 71 RBIs in his first season with Detroit, he is batting just .220 (27-for-123) with three homers and 13 RBIs since the All-Star break.
"No. 1, we've got to get the shoulder right," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said before the series finale against the New York Yankees. "No. 2, we can't go on this way with three extra players, with one being a catcher."
It was another blow for a banged-up team trying to chase division and wild-card leaders. The move was retroactive to Aug. 22, and the roster spot was filled by outfielder Timo Perez, who was recalled from Triple-A Toledo.
Perez played in three games for the Tigers last month, and had one hit in seven at-bats. He had a .309 batting average with 13 homers and 69 RBIs for the Mud Hens this season.
UTLEY COMES OFF DL: One month after having hand surgery, Chase Utley was back in Philadelphia's lineup Monday for the start of a pivotal four-game series against the NL East-leading New York Mets.
The Phillies were six games behind the Mets and three back of San Diego in the wild-card race.
Utley was having an MVP-caliber season before getting hurt. The All-Star second baseman is batting .336 with 41 doubles, 17 homers and 82 RBIs in 100 games. Without Utley, the Phillies were 15-13 and lost one game in the division standings.
PIRATES, GIANTS COMPLETE MORRIS DEAL: The Pirates sent minor league right-hander Steve MacFarland to the San Francisco Giants on Monday to complete last month's trade for right-hander Matt Morris. The Giants got outfielder Rajai Davis and MacFarland in the deal.
MacFarland is 3-2 with a 4.80 ERA in 39 games, including one start, for Class A Hickory of the South Atlantic League. The 21-year-old was a ninth-round draft pick in 2006, when he was 1-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 13 games at short-season Class A Williamsport.