Manager quits, Marlins lose 10th in row

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Florida Marlins lost their manager and another game.

James Shields threw a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts in his second consecutive complete game, Casey Kotchman had a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays handed the reeling Marlins their 10th loss in a row, 2-1, Sunday.

Florida manager Edwin Rodriguez unexpectedly resigned before the game, and the last-place Marlins dropped to 1-18 in June. Bench coach Brandon Hyde managed yesterday, but the club will begin a search for an interim manager.

An emotional Hyde said he was unaware that Rodriguez was planning to step down.

"It was a tough day," Hyde said. "Edwin talked to the staff this morning. It's been a roller coaster, let's put it that way, the past few weeks. It's disappointing. Edwin is a good man and a good manager. I thought our guys handled it well."

Rodriguez, the first Puerto Rican-born manager in major-league history, said it was a difficult decision to leave, given the "positive way the organization is moving, a new ballpark next season and the young core of players . . . I can't say enough about the effort that this staff and these players have put into this season," he said in a statement released by the team. "I could tell that they continued to give 100 percent effort each and every day on the field."

Hyde said the Marlins have not talked to him about their plans.

"It's been extremely frustrating for everyone," president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "I think everyone here knows what is going on -- the way we've played, the way we've performed. It's tough on everyone, especially [Rodriguez]."

Shields (7-4) has a major league-best five complete games this season, and was coming off a 4-0 shutout over AL East-leading Boston on Tuesday.

"If that does not put him in the All-Star Game, I don't know what does," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "Five complete games before the All-Star Game, that does not happen every year. And it's the way he's done it, too. He's just been dominating."

Shields also pitched a three-hit shutout, with 13 strikeouts, against the Marlins on May 22.

-- AP