Reds Winning Streak Comes to an End, Fall to Rays as Familiar Face Tosses Gem

The Cincinnati Reds fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 in Tampa Bay, but still took a 5-1 record away from their six-game road trip.

Apr 22, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson (55) pitches during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Wednesday afternoon in Tampa Bay. With the loss, the Reds fell to 16-9 overall and ended their five-game winning streak dating back to April 17. 

Brandon Williamson Ran into Trouble Early

Apr 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brandon Williamson (55) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Reds starting pitcher Brandon Williamson started on the bump for Cincinnati today and got off to a rocky start early. Williamson ran into trouble in the second inning when he walked back-to-back batters, and allowed Ben Williamson to single to centerfield to score a run. Williamson then hit a batter and allowed Yandy Diaz to single to bring in another run. 

Things didn't get better for Williamson in the home half of the third inning as he allowed a leadoff home run to right field by Junior Caminero, which gave the Rays a 4-0 lead. Williamson would end the day with 4.1 innings pitched, scattering seven hits and allowing five earned runs while striking out three batters.

Bullpen was Unable to Keep Things on Track

Apr 21, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Kyle Nicolas (62) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images

The Reds would go to the bullpen after Williamson was pulled, and brought in Connor Phillips to try and get the train back on the tracks. Phillips ran into trouble in the home half of the seventh after allowing back-to-back singles and then plunking a batter. Caminero would ground out but score a run in the process. Phillips would end his day pitching two innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out one.

Reds Unable to Capitalize in Fifth Inning

Apr 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) look to the video boards in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Reds would make a bit of noise themselves in the top half of the fifth. Nathaniel Lowe singled to lead off the inning, followed by Spencer Steer connecting for a double before P.J. Higgins connected on a sac fly to score a run.  

The rest of the way was quiet for the Reds' bats, as they sent four batters to the plate in the top half of the sixth and went down in order in the top half of the seventh. 

The Reds will try to get back to winning ways with a six-game home stand at Great American Ballpark, which will start Friday against the Detroit Tigers. First pitch for the Friday game is slated for 6:40 P.M. While the loss to the Rays on Wednesday afternoon stings, the Reds walked away from their six-game road trip with a 5-1 record.

Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Reds Delivered to YOU Directly

Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds! Follow Cincinnati Reds OnSI on Twitter/X: @RedsTalkSI. Like Our Cincinnati Reds On SI Facebook Page. Follow Cincinnati Reds On SI on Instagram.