Nationals GM Has Blunt Comment About Phillies Manager Joe Girardi
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 23: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals throws a pitch against the New York Yankees during the first inning in the game at Nationals Park on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Things got heated in the Nationals' 3-2 victory over the Phillies last night.
After already undergoing two checks for foreign substances, Washington ace Max Scherzer was examined a third time at the request of Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi. Passing all three tests with no evidence of foreign substance, Scherzer was livid with the continued doubt against his integrity.
Notching his eighth strikeout of the game to end the fifth inning, the three-time Cy Young award winner walked off the mound and stared down Girardi in the Phillies dugout. Girardi came out to confront Scherzer but was immediately tossed from the contest.
This conflict proved to be an ongoing issue on Wednesday.
During an interview with The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan earlier today, Nats general manager Mike Rizzo called Girardi a "con artist."
"It's embarrassing for Girardi. It's embarrassing for the Phillies. It's embarrassing for baseball," Rizzo said. "Yes he was playing games. Hey, that's his right. Gamesmanship. It had nothing to do with substances. He had no probable cause to ask for it. The umps shouldn't have allowed it. But it happened and you've got to deal with it. This is what we're gonna have to deal with.
"He's a con artist. He got you in the con. You believe it and that's just the way it is. He's been doing that for years on TV."
Rizzo later qualified these statements by saying that he "loves" Girardi and "knows him well" back from his time scouting at Northwestern.
These two coaches will face off again this afternoon at 1:05 p.m. ET.
