CINCINNATI — The Rays completed their lost weekend in Cincinnati on Sunday with a 10-5 drubbing by the Reds.
The Rays rolled into town, visiting for the first since 2014, feeling pretty good about themselves, having won five of their past six from the contending Blue Jays and Red Sox.
But they left beaten and battered.
The Rays dropped to 45-40 after being swept in the three-game series by the Reds, who came into the weekend with 29 wins — second fewest in the majors — and last in the National League.
And Tampa Bay saw two of its top all-around players, Wander Franco and Kevin Kiermaier, leave games hurt and likely to miss extended time.
Sunday’s game got away in the early.
There was a bad omen at the start.
The first two Rays, Yandy Diaz and Harold Ramirez, got hits, then the next three made outs — three-pitch strikeouts by Taylor Walls (yes, hitting third) and Randy Arozarena, and a popout by Isaac Paredes.
And then it got ugly in the third.
Starter Shane Baz gave up seven runs on six hits, including three two-run homers — one shy of the team record for an inning in facing nine batters.
Plus the Rays made a sloppy defensive play, with catcher Rene Pinto throwing a ball past third. That followed a baserunning mistake in the top of the inning by Walls, who got caught making too wide a turn at first and was thrown out, the team’s majors-most (by far) 44th out on the bases, not including caught stealings, pickoffs or force plays.
The Rays did get home runs from Arozarena, Josh Lowe and Pinto.
They head home after the 11-game trip to open a four-game series against the Red Sox on Monday night.
