Brewers sack manager Ned Yost with 12 games left

Manager Ned Yost was fired Monday by the slumping Milwaukee Brewers, losers in seven of their last eight games and 11 of 14.

Milwaukee is smarting from a four-game sweep over the weekend at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, who improved to 83-67 and pulled into a tie with the Brewers for the National League wild card.

The Brewers visit the Chicago Cubs, who lead them by eight games atop the NL Central Division, for a three-game series starting Tuesday night (7:05 p.m. CT).

"The club is just not performing close to the way they performed earlier," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. 'We have 12 days left and we do not know what could jump-start the club.

"This was, I guess, the only thing we thought had a chance of jump-starting the club."

Yost, 53, will be replaced by third-base coach Dale Sveum on an interim basis, with bench coach Ted Simmons reassigned to an undisclosed advisory role.

"Dale is a capable guy, a good baseball guy," Melvin said. "He is familiar with our ballclub.

"Dale is up to the challenge. We will see what he can do with a short period of time."

Milwaukee is seeking to reach the post-season for the first time since 1982, and received a boost by acquiring starter CC Sabathia in a July 7 trade with the Cleveland Indians.

Sabathia, winner of the Cy Young Award as top pitcher last season, is 9-0 in 13 starts with the Brewers, including a 1.59 earned-run average and six complete games.

But Yost and the Brewers slumped badly in the second half last season, leading the NL Central by 8½ games in late June, only to finish with a 83-79 record and out of the playoffs.

Melvin, for one, hopes the removal of Yost means history won't repeat itself.

"Ned has done an outstanding job to put us in position to go to the post-season," Melvin said. "He has done a great job and I am mystified too [by the recent slump]."

Yost, 53, succeeded Jerry Royster as Brewers skipper on Oct. 29, 2002, and posted a 457-502 record in Milwaukee.

"It is tough when you have someone who has done what Ned has done for the organization, built the organization back where it hasn't been in 15 years," Melvin said. "I feel sometimes I quit on Ned a little bit by not allowing him to do it for the last two weeks.

"But in the end, the decision was made."