Norwich's Anthony Tirado dives into second base while Silver Knights infielder Patrick Shrake waits for the throw during Tuesday night's FCBL game at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The Weekend’s “Save Your Tears” blared over the Holman Stadium public address system Tuesday night while Nashua Silver Knights manager Nick Guarino gave his team a lengthy talk after it was thrashed 10-1 by the Norwich Sea Unicorns.

Part of his message was the same as the song – put it behind you but rememeber why it happened.

The thing is, the third-place 22-20 Silver Knights can’t really afford to be crying to much this week with Vermont and Worcester, the top two teams in the FCBL, coming up.

Thus they can’t afford any more games like last night’s dud before an announced crowd of 656, half of whom were around for the end.

It matched the steambath weather, as Nashua was clearly dragging.

“The energy was dead,” Guarino said. “I don’t know why we’re still doing this, 30-some games in. It’s a long summer, but we’re coming off the off day, we should be good to go.”

Nashua was outhit 13-5, and starter Tommy Flaherty only lasted three frames. But if the humidity didn’t suck the air out of the Knights, what happened in the bottom of the first may have. Tablesetters Cole Patterson and Patrick Shrake singled to start the frame and the heart of the order due up. Will Burns flew out to medium center but Patterson tagged up and was a dead duck at third for a deflating double play.

“We don’t need to be so aggressive there,” Guarino said. “He’s (Patterson) a very athletic guy, leads league in stolen bases. But no need to push the envelope there. … Maybe we score a run there, maybe we don’t, but the inning doesn’t end in such a deflating way. And they come back and they score three.”

Yes, they Flaherty’s night with three in the second, keyed by a hot grounder that was playable but went right through first baseman Keldrin Rodriguez with two on for a run. A sac fly and a Gabriel Rivera RBI single made it 3-0.

Norwich (18-20) tacked on a couple more off Nashua reliever Josh Dressler in the fifth but broke the game open with five runs on six hits in the eighth, the death blow a three-run bomb to left by Sea Unicorn Jack Sweeney off the third of four relievers used, Bedford’s Charlie Cariello.

“In that five run inning we messed up a shift in the middle there, that ball was up the middle where we should have been shifted, and five runs scored after that,” Guarino said. “Little things like that we didn’t do right again. … Maybe we don’t win that game but maybe it’s not 10-1.”

Nashua’s one run was scored by Patrick Shrake on a Jake Haarde RBI ground out in the sixth. But earlier, in the fourth with the game only at 4-0, Joey Current was also thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on an error by Norwich’s Charlie Walsh. Walsh recovered and threw Current out on another not-so-close play.

Nashua’s Cole Patterson is tagged out at third by Norwich’s Gabriel Rivera in the first inning of Tuesday night’s FCBL game at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

That one Guarino didn’t mind as much as the first. “Joey was running hard from second, a good send no matter what,” Guarino said. “(Walsh) has to pick that up clean, throw it clean, he (catcher Clay Hartje) has to catch it clean and tag him clean, they did all four things. What are you going to do?”

Not cry, because there’s no crying in baseball.

“The message was big game against Vermont (tonight), NESN game (at Worcester) Thursday, Friday Fireworks Night, going into Saturday with Vermont again,” Guarino said. “This game is over. … We’re going to be OK. We’re still in the drivers seat, we control our destiny.”

So save those tears.

NOTES

Infielder Ernie Little (back) was held out just one more night as a precaution but should be in tonight’s starting lineup, Guarino said. …

The team has its stats crew scouring the region for pitchers, having lost six in the last week, and Guarino said a couple of pitchers will be coming in next week. Scott Longo will get the starting nod tonight vs. Vermont with Brennan Rumpf vs. Worcester on Thursday.