Following one of the most well-rounded games for the Colorado Rockies of the entire season in a 9-3 win over the San Diego Padres, the Rockies relieved manager Bud Black and bench coach Mike Redmond of their duties.

Now at 7-33 through the team’s first 40 games and on track for not only a third consecutive 100-loss season, but also projecting at their current pace to log the most losses of any MLB team in history, general manager Bill Schmidt said the team needed “a different voice.”

That voice will be Warren Schaeffer, who was named interim manager after serving on Colorado’s coaching staff for the past three seasons, focusing on third base coaching and working with the team’s infielders. He managed at three levels in the Rockies organization from 2015-2022, compiling a 464-505 record.

Schaeffer was the manager for Triple-A Albuquerque for three seasons from 2020 to 2022, logging a 120-158 record.

“He’s a great manager,” said center fielder Brenton Doyle, who played under Schaeffer in Albuquerque. “He knows the game really well and cares a lot. He brings a lot of energy and I’m looking forward to it.”

Energy was one of the words mentioned often on Sunday as needed by the Rockies, a franchise that parted ways with hitting coach Hensley Meulens on April 17 in an effort to shake up an offense that still ranks near the bottom of many of Major League Baseball’s offensive categories.

“I think there comes a point where you have to change the leadership of the group,” Schmidt said. “I think a different voice here and we’re at that point where we needed to do that.”

The Rockies have had three different eight-game losing streaks this season, marking the first time in franchise history that has happened. Those losses contributed to 33 defeats in Colorado’s first 39 games, tying the Rockies with the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the most in MLB’s modern era.

The final loss under Black’s regime was a 21-0 defeat on Saturday night where the Padres established several franchise records, including the first time eight players had multiple hits in the same game.

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Still, Schmidt said the 21-0 loss wasn’t the final straw that caused the Rockies to make Sunday’s move.

“I think you just look at how we’ve been playing the last month,” Schmidt said. “You win a game, you lose eight. You win a game, you lose eight. I think everything in total played a part, not just one game.”

Now heading to Texas and Arizona for a six-game road trip that begins in Arlington on Monday, Colorado will try to turn the page with a new interim manager and continue some of the momentum from Sunday’s win.

“It was a little emotional. He’s the only manager I’ve ever known,” said third baseman Ryan McMahon said of Black. “I had a great relationship with him so it’s tough. I don’t think it was his fault much. I don’t think we played to our capabilities, but this is the direction the organization has decided to go, so we’ll roll with it.”

Black was hired before the 2017 season and immediately led the Rockies to consecutive postseason appearances. He departs as the franchise leader for most games managed (1,234) and most managerial wins (544). He was the fourth-most winningest active MLB manager behind Bruce Bochy (Texas), Terry Francona (Cincinnati) and Bob Melvin (San Francisco).

“There’s a lot of different emotions right now,” said starting pitcher Kyle Freeland, who made his MLB debut in 2017. “I’ve been with Buddy and Red (Redmond) my entire career up to this point. Both are great guys and I have nothing but great things to say about them.”

Still, Freeland knows the team must move on and try to right the ship from what has been a dreadful first 40 games of the season.

“Clearly some changes needed to be made to see if we can start turning this thing around and get going in a new direction, get some traction and start going as a team,” Freeland said. “It’s on all of our shoulders. We’re going to win as a team and we’re going to lose as a team, and that includes the coaching staff.

“We’re all out there every single day trying to do one thing and that’s win a ball game that night. Us as players, we fell short of that a lot of the time. As coaches, they fell short as well. We need to be better, and we need to continue to progress forward.”

That begins Monday night in Texas as the Schaeffer era begins for the Rockies.