Pat Murphy to be Padres' interim manager for rest of season

Pat Murphy will be the interim manager of the San Diego Padres for the rest of the season, general manager A.J. Preller announced Tuesday.

Murphy, who had managed the team's Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, Texas, was interviewed for the position, along with former Padres outfielder and current bench coach Dave Roberts, and other internal candidates.

"Pat Murphy's 30 years of experience coaching and managing, and his success at every level, stood out to me as I came to this decision," Preller said in a statement. "His leadership ability, his respect in the clubhouse and his familiarity with our system will make this transition a smooth one for our players and coaching staff."

The Padres fired Bud Black on Monday after the team had gotten off to a 32-33 start amid high expectations and a record payroll. San Diego never reached the playoffs during his nine-year tenure.

Roberts managed the team during Monday's 9-1 loss to Oakland. Murphy took over for the Padres' 6-5 loss to the A's on Tuesday night.

The 56-year-old Murphy is in his sixth season with the Padres' organization and managed the Triple-A Chihuahuas to a 180-172 record over the past three seasons. He also previously coached at Arizona State (1995-2009) and Notre Dame (1988-94).

"I just have to learn, to get up to speed," Murphy said. "I need to try and get as much information as I can and try to hit the ground running."

The Padres haven't had a winning season since 2010. They finished 18 games behind Los Angeles in the National League West last season.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.