Wednesday, 4 a.m.
When a team is lost, the desert is the last place it wants to be.
The back-sliding Tampa Bay Rays lost another game Tuesday night, getting clobbered by the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-4. Arizona jumped on rookie Taj Bradley for four home runs in four innings, then cruised to the win.
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The Rays have lost eight of their last 14 games, and in June, they are just 14-10. Tampa Bay is 20-18 away from home.
The Diamondbacks jumped Bradley for five runs in the first inning, including back-to-back homers from Corbin Carroll (a three-run shot) and Christian Walker.
"I think they saw too many pitches from (Bradley)," Rays' manager Kevin Cash said.
Later home runs were by Evan Longoria and Ketel Marte. Together, those four Arizona players have combined for 59 homers this year.
The Rays came back with four runs in the top of the second inning, two of them on wild pitches. Another run came on the 15th home run of the season by Jose Siri.
Isaac Paredes had three of the Rays' six hits.
The Rays and Diamondbacks play again tonight at 9:40 p.m. Zach Eflin will start for the Rays against Zach Davies.