Nashua shortstop Tyson Gill hits the turf, unable to come up with a bloop hit during Frday night's 10-8 loss to Lowell at LeLacheur Park. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

LOWELL, Mass. – Remember that good feeling after Wednesday night’s comeback/walk-off win over Worcester at Historic Holman Stadium?

On Friday night it had to feel like it was weeks ago for the Nashua Silver Knights, who followed up a close loss Thursday at Vermont with a late inning 10-8 debacle at LeLacheur Park at the hands of the Lowell Spinners.

Oh yeah, remember the days when the Knights were the Spinners’ Daddy? Well they’re more like cousins now, on an even playing field as the Spinners after losing the first six meetings have now beaten Nashua three straight.

But all this loss did was put some pressure on this morning’s 10:30 holiday game at HHS vs. the Norwich Sea Unicorns.

Which is why Silver Knights manager Nick Guarino did all the talking in a longer than usual post-game meeting on the field. While all 10 Lowell runs were earned, one could make the argument that the Silver Knights, after rallying from a 5-2 deficit to grab a 7-5 lead with a five-run seventh, handed the game right back to Lowell with faulty defense and bad decisions.

“That’s every loss we have, we hand it to them,” Guarino said. “Nobody beats us on their own. Same thing at Vermont, we gave them four runs on the defensive side. … Tonight we gave them five on defense, two on offense. That bleep’s frustrating. It’s every time we lose a baseball game.

“It’s not just once or twice. Every time we lose, I could nit-pick five or six different things that we do that are just stupid baseball. I just told them, it’s starting to get a little aggravating, and we’ve got to start cleaning it up a little bit.”

Down 5-2 in the seventh, Nashua put together a five-run rally, the big blows a two-run double by Phoenix Williams and a costly error by Lowell first baseman Cam Biller.

But in the bottom half of the inning, Nashua gave it all right back as Lowell scored four to grab a 9-7 lead it never relinquished. Lefty reliever Bryce McLeland couldn’t get an out despite soft contact, facing just three hitters with a run home. But the key blunders were when Nashua second baseman Ryan O’Leary didn’t have his foot anywhere near the base after catching a force flip, and later catcher Peter Fischer threw through to second on a double steal, allowing Lowell’s David Vandezouwen to waltz home easily with a run.

Oops.

“We’re swinging well, we’re playing good baseball (physically),” Guarino said. “But the baseball IQ is bad. It’s really bad right now.”

Will Perkowski started for Nashua but struggled, giving up four runs on six hits over five innings. Nashua is hurting in the bullpen with missing starters, thus the odd combo in high leverage situations of Brody Bump (one run), McCleland (three 0-1), Michael Crowley (run, but a high leverage guy) and Colten Shaffer (run).

Silver Knights’ Mason Wilson steals second as Lowell infielder Zander Bratspis can’t reach a wild throw during Friday night’s game at Lowell’s LeLacheur Park. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Meanwhile, Lowell was able to go to its new closer, Anthony Mateo of Alabama A&M, signed in the last week as his friend is Lowell’s Jordan Henriquez, both are from Lynn, Mass. But the Spinners still tried to give things away as two ninth inning errors gave Nashua a run and life before Mateo got the final out for his third save. Yes, three saves already on a team that the last two nights had pounded out a combined 30 hits (13 last night).

“We’re just light in the bullpen right now,” Guarino said. “We lost starters … We’re moving pieces around and it affects us on the back end.

“They’re (12-21 Lowell) playing good baseball. They’re a totally different team than they were a month ago. I said it two weeks ago, this team (Nashua) is probably going to be in a playoff push at the end of the year, and I still believe that.

“I told them, 30 games left, there’s still time to do it, go enjoy the Fourth and the 5th, because we’re off on the 5th (Sunday), do what you’ve got to do, family, friends, then you’re back on Monday for the last stretch. No more nonsense.

“Big one (this morning).”

Nashua manager Nick Guarino, center back, has his players’ attention after a tough 10-8 loss at Lowell on Friday night. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)