CINCINNATI._ Taylor Walls hit two homers and drove in four runs, while rookie Taj Bradley dazzled in his second startso that the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, 10-0.
Cuban Yandy Díaz contributed a home run for three runs, and Cuban nationalized Mexican Randy Arozarena also homeredwith which the Rays handed lefty Nick Lodolo his first loss of the season.
The Rays have hit at least one home run in each of their first 18 games this season, the second-longest home run streak since 2019 when the Seattle Mariners did it in 20 games.
The 22-year-old Bradley (2-0) again turned in a sensational performance, striking out nine batters and hitting one in 5 1-3 innings. His combined 17 strikeouts in his first two career starts are the most by a Rays pitcher, surpassing Andy Sonnanstine’s mark of 15 strikeouts in 2007.
Walls, who was 4-for-5, scored the first run with a solo shot in the second inning. His second home run came in the sixth off pitches from rookie Casey Legumina, hitting more than one home run in a game for the first time in his career.
Lodolo (2-1) allowed just three runs in his first three starts combined, but gave up as many as eight runs on Tuesday.
For the Rays, Arozarena went 5-2 with two runs scored and one RBI and Isaac Paredes went 4-0.
