Denied yet again.
The Carolina Mudcats had a chance to win their first series of the season Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Field but committed three errors that led to four unearned runs and a 5-3 victory for the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Carolina has lost all 12 five-game series this season and has lost 20 consecutive series dating back to last July.
Fortunately for the Mudcats, the Southern League does not have such a category in its records book.
“It’s very frustrating,” Carolina third baseman Mike Costanzo said. “We’re coming out here and battling our butts off, but we’re just not getting it done. Hopefully, one of these days we’ll catch a break and keep going with it.
“We’re a good team, and I really believe that in my heart. We’re in every game, but we just wind up on the wrong end.”
Carolina is 18-42 and will have the league’s worst record for a half in the past 20 years if it loses the next two series against Tennessee and Jackson, the league’s top two teams. The worst-half distinction now belongs to the 2002 Lookouts, who went 23-47 in the second half.
The Mudcats have lost three series to Chattanooga (28-32) this season after holding two-to-one leads.
“It’s not like we’re doing that much better, so we’ve got to take whatever we can,” Lookouts right fielder Kyle Russell said. “We feel for what they’re going through, because we’re going through some of that as well.”
Costanzo hit a two-run home run to right-center field in the third inning, but he committed a fielding error in the first that brought home two runs. The game was tied 3-3 until the fifth inning, when Alfredo Silverio opened with a homer to left and Carolina’s third error brought in the final run.
Every other league team has at least three series victories this season, Tennessee leading the way with 10.
“It has definitely come up in conversation quite a few times and in a few team meetings,” Costanzo said of the streak. “We’ve got to go out every day and keep battling, and one day it’s going to click and we’re going to tally off like 10 in a row.”
That day can’t come soon enough.
“There is no doubt it’s tough,” Lookouts manager Carlos Subero said. “One thing you’ve got to give them credit for is that we probably could have won all five games this series. There was one we led 5-0 going into the seventh, but you could look in their dugout and see that there was no quit in them. They scored six runs and won the ballgame, so they play with enthusiasm and they play hard.
“They play the game the right way, and that’s all you can ask as a manager.”
The Lookouts left early Wednesday evening for Mississippi, where they will begin their longest road trip of the season. They will not play at AT&T again until June 23, when they will open the second half against Jacksonville.
Chris Withrow (1-5, 5.29 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight’s series opener for the Lookouts, with Arodys Vizcaino (1-1, 5.54) scheduled for the Braves.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.