ST. PETERSBURG -- Sitting in the home dugout at Tropicana Field on Tuesday afternoon, manager Kevin Cash succinctly summarized the Rays’ current offensive struggles by saying, “It's just not coming easy right now.”

That was the case again for Tampa Bay on multiple fronts during a 4-2 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday night. The Rays couldn't capitalize on several scoring opportunities early on, running the risk of wasting another excellent outing by starter Ryan Pepiot. Then, just after Isaac Paredes delivered the big hit they’d been waiting for in the sixth inning, lefty reliever Colin Poche gave up the lead in the eighth.

In the end, the Rays lost their third straight game and, at 12-13, fell below .500 for the first time since they were 5-6 on April 8. The defeat also solidified Tampa Bay’s first series loss to Detroit at home since the Tigers swept a four-game set at the Trop from June 30-July 3, 2016.

As frustrating as the ending felt, the Rays’ inability to produce runs remains their primary issue. They have scored fewer than five runs in seven consecutive games and 17 of 25 overall, and it is no coincidence they have gone 6-for-49 (.122) with runners in scoring position during that stretch.

“Everybody, one through nine, they want to help get it done,” Cash said. “I don't think we're necessarily expanding out of the zone or chasing pitches that we can't handle. We're just not as timed up as I think we're gonna be here soon. But right now, it's challenging to go through it.”

The Tigers practically gift-wrapped a pair of early opportunities for the Rays, but Tampa Bay couldn’t capitalize. Yandy Díaz and Richie Palacios led off the first inning by reaching on a pair of errors, a misplay by shortstop by Javier Báez and catcher’s interference on Carson Kelly. But Amed Rosario popped out, and Randy Arozarena’s monthlong funk continued as he grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Rays couldn’t take advantage of another Tigers error in the third, either. José Caballero reached on a mistake by second baseman Colt Keith, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by Díaz. But Palacios went down swinging and Rosario hit a harmless popup to shallow right field that Keith snagged to keep Caballero from scoring.

A similar scene unfolded in the fifth. Ben Rortvedt reached on a leadoff single, and Díaz kept the inning going with a two-out single to the right side of the infield. But Palacios flied out to right, and Kenta Maeda made it through five innings unscathed while holding the Rays hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.

“I think we're just going through a bad moment right now,” said Paredes, who leads the team with six homers and 16 RBIs, through interpreter Manny Navarro. “Everyone in here has got a lot of talent. We've just got to keep with our work and our routines, and hopefully things start to turn around a little bit.”

Paredes was poised to do exactly that in the sixth inning. After Arozarena snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a one-out single, Paredes blasted a two-run shot to left field off reliever Alex Faedo, putting the Rays on top against his former team.

That took Pepiot off the hook for a loss he wouldn’t have deserved. The right-hander allowed just one run, on a third-inning homer by Riley Greene, and permitted only three hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings for his third quality start in five outings this season.

“He's been pretty outstanding for us. Really encouraged with how he's thrown the ball,” Cash said. “I can't say enough. Every time he takes the ball, he's given us a chance to win, and hopefully, that continues.”

The Rays' bullpen had seemingly turned a corner lately, allowing only three earned runs in 26 1/3 innings over the past seven games, and Phil Maton kept the lead intact in the seventh. But Poche quickly coughed it up in the eighth on what Cash called “some pretty good pitches” by the lefty.

After a leadoff single by Carson Kelly, Poche -- who hadn’t allowed a run since an ugly outing at Coors Field on April 5 -- threw a first-pitch fastball up in the zone that Greene slammed off the batter’s eye for a two-run homer. Two batters later, Mark Canha bashed a low 1-2 slider out to left-center field to put the game away.

“Kudos to them, but there’s some better pitches I could have made as well,” Poche said.