Mets fire manager Willie Randolph

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The underachieving New York Mets fired manager Willie Randolph on Tuesday and replaced him on an interim basis with bench coach Jerry Manuel.

Randolph, 53, was released several hours after the Mets defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-6 for their third victory in their last four games.

The Mets, 34-35 despite a National League-high $138 million payroll, also released pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto.

"I had to have closure," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said at a news conference in Anaheim, California. "I felt we had to have a different leadership."

Randolph has been under fire since the Mets' 2007 collapse when they blew a seven-game lead with 17 to go and lost the N.L. East title to the Philadelphia Phillies.

"This team, I feel, is underperforming," added Minaya. "(But) the team is not underperforming only because of Willie Randolph.... We are all responsible."

A second baseman for the New York Yankees for 13 seasons of his 18-year big-league career, Randolph had a 302-253 record since becoming the Mets' manager prior to the 2005 season.

The 54-year-old Manuel was manager of the Chicago White Sox from 1998-2003 and led them to an American League-best record of 95-67 in 2000.

He was a 500-471 record during his six seasons as manager of the White Sox.

New York also named Dan Warthen, the pitching coach of Class AAA New Orleans, to join Manuel's coaching staff, along with Ken Oberkfell, New Orleans' manager, and Luis Aguayo, the team's field coordinator.

(Writing by Steve Ginsburg in Boston; editing by Justin Palmer)