Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner cited a failure to reach expectations and a "pivotal time" for the franchise when he announced the firings of longtime manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo.

The team announced Sunday that it has fired manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo. Washington is 37-53 on the season, sitting in fifth place in the NL East. ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported the firings.

Dave Martinez and Mike Rizzo have been fired amid their sixth consecutive losing season since they won the 2019 World Series