Nationals GM Rips Into Joe Girardi: 'He’s a Con Artist'

PublishedJune 23, 2021 1:25 PM EDT|UpdatedJune 23, 2021 1:25 PM EDT

Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer went through three sticky checks Tuesday evening but managed to pitch through the interruptions and get the 3-2 win over the Phillies.

In the bottom of the fourth inning with one out, a runner on first, and the Phillies trailing 3-1, Philly manager Joe Girardi signaled to the umpires to check Scherzer for a third time. As Scherzer left the game in the fifth, he stared down Girardi, which enraged the manager, leading to his ejection.

"I've seen Max a long time, since 2010 — obviously, he's going to be a hall of famer — but I've never seen him wipe his head like he was doing tonight. Ever," Girardi said after the game. "It was suspicious for me. He did it about four or five times. It was suspicious. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I just got to do what’s right for our club."

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo responded by calling the Phillies manager a "con artist" in a Wednesday morning appearance with The Sports Junkies, Audacy Sports reports.

When asked if he thought Girardi was exhibiting gamesmanship — rather than being genuinely concerned that Scherzer may be using a foreign substance — Rizzo responded by saying "of course he was."

"What are we idiots? Of course he was," Rizzo said. "It's embarrassing for Girardi. It's embarrassing for the Phillies. It's embarrassing for baseball. Yes he was playing games."

Rizzo said Girardi has the right to use gamesmanship, but that it had nothing to do with substances.

"He had no probable cause to ask for it," Rizzo said. "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."

Rizzo said he thinks Girardi's goal was to intimidate Scherzer, and "it's just not gonna happen." Rizzo said Girardi's actions just pissed Scherzer off and made him concentrate that much harder.

"That was his goal. He's a con artist," Rizzo said. "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."