CINCINNATI -- A 10-game homestand against teams with poor records was viewed as a golden opportunity for the Reds to finally get momentum. But though they won the final two series before the break, a 3-2 defeat to the Marlins on Sunday was another disappointment.

In a stretch that began with the Reds being swept in three games by the Tigers before playing the Rockies and Marlins at Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati went 5-5 in its past 10 games and owns a 47-50 record heading into the All-Star break.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday's loss.

Lodolo's day unravels quickly

Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo's fortunes turned on a dime. Lodolo, who kept Miami hitless while facing the minimum through four innings, labored with 31 pitches to only get two outs in the fifth.

From June 25 until Tuesday, Lodolo was on the injured list for the third time this season -- this time because of a blister on his left index finger. He seemed to be messing with his finger in the fifth, but denied that a blister returned.

“Not blister problems, no," Lodolo said. "Just losing skin in the area and stuff. It just feels weird. It’s not affecting me physically throwing the ball. I could throw the ball just fine.”

Lodolo allowed three hits and three walks in the fifth, and he appeared to not get a couple of close calls, including a 2-2 curveball at the bottom of the zone to Jonah Bride that was called a ball. The next pitch, another curveball, was elevated and Bride hit a two-run single to center field.

“I could have really used that one," Lodolo said. "At the same time, the inning can’t unravel because of one call. I definitely didn’t have great command there.”

In his return from the injured list on Tuesday -- a 12-6 win over Colorado -- Lodolo only lasted 3 2/3 innings when the game was interrupted by a 44-minute rain delay that clearly affected him. He noted that he got tired in the fifth inning on Sunday as his multiple stops on the IL may have caught up to him.

“I’ve gone pitch, stop for two weeks, pitch, stop for two weeks. It’s not easy to do," said Lodolo, who is 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 14 starts. "I’ve just got to find a rhythm again and build up endurance. It’s not an excuse or anything. I’ve got to get the job done, especially on a day like today when the bullpen is thin. I’ve got to get out of that and give us a little bit more length.”

De La Cruz's baserunning gaffe

In the fourth inning against Marlins starter Trevor Rogers, Jonathan India and Elly De La Cruz drew back-to-back walks -- the Reds' first baserunners of the game. But on the first pitch to Jeimer Candelario, De La Cruz took too large of a secondary lead and drew a pickoff throw from catcher Nick Fortes. With India on second base, De La Cruz had nowhere to go and was tagged out.

It was another baserunning mistake for the Reds in a season that's been littered with them.

“Obviously, we can’t get picked off there," manager David Bell said. "It’s not one player. It’s not one player. You have to look at the big picture. We need to get better in all areas of the game. We have to continue to improve. We have the people in place. We have the players. We have the character. We have the work ethic. We have guys who will do whatever it takes to make that happen.”

Bench moves backfire on Bell

The Reds were hitless and scoreless through five innings against Rogers. That ended quickly in the sixth when India led off with a double off the wall in center field. On the next pitch, De La Cruz lifted a two-run home run to right-center field -- his 17th of the season -- and made it a 2-2 game.

In the seventh inning against righty reliever Declan Cronin with two men on and two out, Bell pinch-hit for catcher Austin Wynns, opting for left-handed-hitting Jake Fraley. It was a risky call because primary catcher Tyler Stephenson was the designated hitter. Cincinnati lost the DH when Stephenson moved behind the plate.

The Marlins countered with lefty reliever A.J. Puk, and Bell pulled Fraley for rookie Noelvi Marte as a right-handed hitter. Marte popped out to the shortstop and the Reds' bench became shorthanded for the late innings.

"I felt like that was a scoring opportunity," Bell said. "Obviously, we had three innings left. I knew I could expose ourselves and be short at the end of the game. I went for it there. It didn’t work."