"It's a very tough day for me. Obviously, I'm new at this, and this is only my second year at managing. I'm a blessed individual. I haven't had too many bad news in my life. Other than the death of my older brother, this is the worst news I've ever had," manager Manny Acta said. "But I had nothing but nice things to say about my coaches. They did a great job for me these last two years. They worked their (tails) off for me and for these kids. I wish them nothing but the best."

While Acta may have been the most shaken, his coaches took a more detached view of the news.

Harris, who probably came under the most fire of all the coaches, admitted his first full season as a hitting coach was made difficult by how many times he had to rehash concepts with young hitters -- something he wasn't entirely sure how to do.

"It was a tough job for me this year with a lot of young guys," Harris said. "It was hard for me to prepare them, because each and every day you have to go over the same situations about who's throwing, what he likes to throw and stuff like that. They weren't used to that. So it was a learning thing for them."

Bowden said the team would begin a search for a new coaching staff on Monday.

PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 3: Fielding eight position players who began the year in the minor leagues, the Nationals fell behind the Phillies for good in the fourth inning after taking a 3-1 lead in the top of the inning.

Starter Odalis Perez gave up three runs in the fourth, coming out of the game with flu-like symptoms, and the Phillies added another three runs in the eighth off Marco Estrada.

Pete Orr and Anderson Hernandez led Washington with two hits each.