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St. Louis Cardinals fire pitching coach Derek Lilliquist

By The Sports Xchange
St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Derek Lilliquist reaches for his glasses during a game against the Chicago Cubs in May. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Derek Lilliquist reaches for his glasses during a game against the Chicago Cubs in May. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

The St. Louis Cardinals shook up their coaching staff by firing pitching coach Derek Lilliquist and bullpen coach Blaise Ilsley.

The dismissals were announced Tuesday and came after the Cardinals missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

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St. Louis compiled a 4.01 ERA this season and a 4.08 mark in 2016 after producing a National League-best 2.94 in 2015.

Lilliquist was the pitching coach for five-plus seasons. The 51-year-old is a former major league pitcher who went 25-34 with a 4.13 ERA in 262 appearances (52 starts) with five teams from 1989-96.

Ilsley just completed his fifth season with the organization. He had a 7.80 ERA in 10 relief appearances for the Chicago Cubs in 1994.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said the rest of the coaching staff is expected back for manager Mike Matheny's seventh season.

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