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.

Lerner also announced that assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo has been named as Rizzo's replacement on an interim basis. DeBartolo will immediately be tasked with running the draft room for next week's MLB Draft, in which the Nationals have the top pick.