Strikeouts don't save Lookouts

The "K" parade continued for the Chattanooga Lookouts on a scorching Friday night at AT&T Field.

Their 500 strikeouts already the most in the Southern League heading into the third game of their five-game series with the Mississippi Braves, the Lookouts and starting pitcher Scott Elbert added to the total with a double-digit performance in front of a sweat-soaked crowd of 4,335.

But nine walks undercut many of the Lookouts' 15 strikeouts, and the Braves took advantage in an 8-1 win, snapping a seven-game losing streak.

"It was one of those days where we tried to do a little too much, tried to over-throw," said Lookouts pitching coach Glenn Dishman, who attributed that in part to the presence of Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti.

"They took themselves out of their natural element by trying to impress him, rather than ... going right after guys and attacking the zone."

The temperature was 95 degrees when Elbert threw the first pitch at 7:17 p.m., and the left-hander kept the heat on the Braves (31-37) early. He didn't allow a hit through the first four innings, while striking out eight, before running into trouble in the fifth. Elbert, who leads the league with 87 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings, allowed four runs on three hits in five innings, striking out 10 and walking five.

Braves starter Kyle Cofield, meanwhile, steadily plodded along. He pitched seven innings, holding the Lookouts (28-39) to a run on three hits, with a walk and two strikeouts.

Mississippi's Matt Young led off the game with a walk and later scored on a steal of third base. Elbert saw Young going for third and threw quickly to third baseman Josh Bell, but the throw was well wide and Young jogged home.

The Lookouts drew even in the bottom of the second when Bell scored on a sacrifice fly.

The Braves got their first hit with one out in the top of the fifth. Brandon Hicks walked, stole second and scored easily on Phillip Britton's double to the left-field corner. Cofield then put runners on the corners with an infield single and Elbert walked Young for the third straight time to load the bases for Travis Jones.

"You walk the leadoff guy three times in a row, eventually it's going to bite you," Dishman said.

Jones hit a bloop single to right to give the Braves a 3-1 lead and keep the bases loaded for Willie Cabrera, who brought in another run by taking ball four on a 3-2 pitch.

Elbert struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

Francisco Felix took over in the sixth and a leadoff walk helped the Braves add a run for a 5-1 lead. The Lookouts entered the game with 26 more strikeouts than any other team in the league, and their 221 walks before Friday were the second-fewest.

The Lookouts were held to just one hit after the fifth inning, a double in the ninth by Eddy Perez that stretched his hit streak to eight games -- five in a row with an extra-base hit.

James Adkins (2-5, 4.80 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Lookouts in tonight's 7:15 game, with Jeff Lyman (4-5, 3.76) listed for the Braves.