The Rays took a couple of good swings Wednesday, as Mike Zunino hit his major league-catcher-most 18th home run and Yandy Diaz pulled a 424-foot blast to left.
But the story of the 15-6 loss to the Nationals was how poorly the Rays pitched, specifically just-called up reliever Ryan Sherriff and Michael Wacha.
The Nationals overall rapped 18 hits — including a cycle by Trea Turner on his 28th birthday — the most the Rays have allowed all season. The runs also were the most the Rays have given up.
The loss was the Rays’ third straight overall, and also their eighth straight on the road, their longest such skid since dropping nine in a row in 2018. They are 47-34 and could fall three games back in the American League East if the Red Sox win again later Wednesday.
There was action from the start on a steamy afternoon in Washington as the Rays took a 2-0 lead in the first off Jon Lester. Manuel Margot manufactured one run, and Diaz delivered the other. The Nationals evened it with two off opener Drew Rasmussen.
The Rays made it 4-2 in the third when Wander Franco singled and Zunino delivered his sixth homer in his past 10 games.
Then the Nationals started knocking the Rays around.
Wacha, coming off a dazzling start, was asked to work behind an opener Wednesday. With the two dangerous lefties in the Nationals lineup in line to hit in the third inning, the Rays opted to go then to Sherriff, the lefty called up earlier in the day, with Ryan Thompson placed on the injured list.
That was a bad move as Sherriff got out Lester, then no one else, hitting Kyle Schwarber, allowing a double to Turner, then RBI singles to Juan Soto and Josh Bell. The Rays went next to Andrew Kittredge, but a two-run single to Starlin Castro made it 6-4.
Wacha, who warmed up in the first, took over in the fourth, and he had problems, too, including three homers — Turner (in the fourth), Jordy Mercer (fifth) and Castro (sixth).
In three innings, Wacha allowed five runs, giving up seven hits and walking two, and throwing 70 pitches.
The Rays are off Thursday, then open a holiday weekend series against the Blue Jays on Friday in Buffalo, N.Y.
