Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell
The Lookout's James Tomlin runs to first base after hitting the ball while Carolina's Brian Peterson and the umpire, Quinn Wolcott watch at AT&T Field.

Carolina Mudcats relief pitcher Sean Watson didn't get the victory in Thursday night's 4-3 triumph over the Chattanooga Lookouts at AT&T Field, but he didn't internally combust, either.

Watson had allowed four eighth-inning runs in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Lookouts after the Mudcats built a 5-2 lead, and he gave up a bases-clearing triple in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 9-3 loss. The former University of Tennessee standout entered Thursday with a 15.26 earned run average against the Lookouts and a 2.31 ERA against the rest of the Southern League.

"I feel like I'm cursed," Watson said after the Mudcats won for just the third time in 11 second-half games. "I love the state of Tennessee and I love Chattanooga as a city, but I cannot play here. I don't know if it's a mental thing or what."

The Lookouts, attempting to go over .500 for the first time this season, slipped to 5-6 for the second half.

Tonight's 6:15 series finale could sell out by lunchtime. Lookouts owner Frank Burke said fewer than 1,000 tickets remained for the game, which will be followed by fireworks.

Watson, a second-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2006, made 31 appearances with the Lookouts last season, going 1-2 with a 4.37 ERA. In 35 innings, he gave up 27 hits, walked 28 batters and threw five wild pitches.

His eighth inning Thursday wasn't overwhelming, as he allowed a double to Josh Bell and walked Mike Rose, but it was his favorite inning this week.

"Relievers have to have a short memory, and the outing I had Sunday wasn't one I really wanted," he said. "My coaches just told me not to worry about it and move on, so tonight I just tried to throw strikes and make quality pitches."

Zach Cozart's two-run home run to left field in the sixth inning off Lookouts starter Travis Chick put Carolina up 4-3. The Mudcats had entered the sixth trailing 3-1, but Sean Henry led off with a triple to right-center and scored on Jose Castro's groundout.

After scoring four runs in the first inning of Wednesday's win, the Lookouts came back with three in Thursday's first. Mudcats pitcher Jordan Smith opened the bottom of the first by walking James Tomlin and hitting Ramon Nivar, and Andrew Lambo made him pay with a two-run double to left.

Lambo scored on Rose's sacrifice to left to make it 3-0, which stood until Carolina's Todd Frazier opened the fourth with a homer high off the scoreboard in left.

"You can break Travis Chick's outing down to three bad pitches -- the home run in the fourth, the triple on the fastball that came right back over the plate, and then a 3-1 fastball with a base open," Lookouts pitching coach Glenn Dishman said. "You've got to be a little more protective there. He came back in the seventh, which shows me that he's the type of guy you can trust to keep out there."

J.D. Durbin (0-2, 1.93 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight's game for the Lookouts, with Travis Wood (8-3, 1.36) scheduled for the Mudcats.

Lasorda signs away

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was in attendance for a second straight game and signed dozens of autographs. The 82-year-old says he's never worked a day in his life because of his love for the sport.

"Baseball is the only thing in the world where if you fail seven out of 10 times, you're good," he said. "If you're a quarterback and complete three out of 10 passes, they run you out of town. If you make three out of 10 free throws, you're worse than Shaquille (O'Neal)."