Before the game began, Jonathan India (right hamstring) and Mike Moustakas (right biceps strain) were placed on the injured list, joining Tyler Naquin, placed on the injured list before Monday’s game.
Then in the first inning, San Diego’s Luke Voit tried to score from first and was thrown out at home. But the 255-pound Voit was like a loose caboose and the collision at home plate knocked Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson out of the game.
Back-up catcher Aramis Garcia was serving as the designated hitter but had to take Stephenson’s place behind the plate. That meant the Reds lost the designated hitter and pitcher Reimer Sanmartin had to bat in Stephenson’s spot, fifth behind Joey Votto.
That was the backdrop to a game in which the Reds dropped to 2-10, the worst record in the majors.
The game began as if Bally Sports Ohio was showing a re-run of Monday’s game.
On Monday, Tommy Pham hit a first-inning home run to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. Then in the bottom of the first Austin Nola singled and Manny Machado homered for a 2-1 San Diego lead.
On Tuesday, with the crowd still booing the former Padres, Pham launched a first-inning two-out home run for a 1-0 Reds lead. In the bottom of the first, Nola singled, and Machado homered — Deja vu all over again.
This time, though, the Padres didn’t stop in the first against rookie Sanmartin. He walked Voit and Jurickson Profar doubled to the left field corner, the play on which Voit and Stephenson collided at home plate. Eric Hosmer singled home Profar for a 3-1 lead.
The Padres added two in the fourth when Eric Hosmer poked a ground ball dribbler to left against the shift, Wil Myers doubled for the fourth run and Jose Azocar doubled for the fifth run.
Meanwhile, after Pham’s first inning home run, Padres pitcher Joe Musgrave retired 14 straight through one out in the sixth.
Garcia doubled and scored on Kyle Farmer’s single to pull the Reds within 5-2.
Slump-ridden Joey Votto broke a 0-for-18 slide by opening the seventh with a single to center. Pinch-hitter J.T. Riddle, called up from Class AAA Louisville before the game, struck out. Colin Moran walked, putting two runners on base for the first time on this night.
That signaled the end for Musgrove and he was replaced by Robert Suarez. Aristides Aquino flied to left and Alejo Lopez lined out to center, leaving the Reds three runs down.
The Padres added a run in the eighth without a hit against Ryan Hendrix on two walks, a wild pitch and a ground ball.
When the Padres scored three in the first inning, it was a bad omen for the Reds. The Padres are 7-0 this season when they score more than two runs.
And the Padres extended their major league record with no errors in the first 13 games of a season.
On the flip side, it was the seventh straight game the Reds scored three or fewer runs.
The Reds’ lineup carried a heavy Class AAA Louisville flavor with Friedl, Lopez and Garcia sprinkled through the batting order.
And the Reds’ batting order contained a bundle of guys below The Mendoza Line, named for former Pittsburgh infielder Mario Mendoza, who hit below .200 five times during his nine-year major league career.
The dismal digits: Aquino .059, Moran .071, Votto .119, Lopez .143, Pham .147.
The Reds close the seven-game trip today at 4:10 p.m.
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