The Chattanooga Lookouts let one get away Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Field by giving up five runs in the seventh inning.

Then they gave up six more in the ninth.

Proving that winning is always difficult when the opponent scores the final 11 runs, the Lookouts lost 15-7 to the Tennessee Smokies in a game they once controlled. Lookouts pitchers combined for eight walks, and the defense committed two errors and additional mistakes that didn’t make the box score.

“It’s disappointing to have games fall apart like this, and it’s embarrassing,” said Lookouts second baseman Drew Anderson, who had a throwing error in the ninth. “We’ve had a couple of ugly ones, but this is probably the ugliest. It just leaves a terrible feeling in your stomach.”

Chattanooga (18-15) had not allowed 11 runs in any game all season, but the Lookouts have given the Smokies reason to celebrate. Tennessee (13-20) captured its second game in a five-game series for the first time in nearly a month.

Troubles started quickly for the Lookouts, beginning with B.J. Szymanski failing to get back on Steve Clevenger’s first-inning drive to right. The ball cleared Szymanski’s glove, and the play was ruled a two-run triple, but Szymanski and Lookouts manager Mike Goff admit that should have been the third out.

“I just misread the wind, and it is nobody’s problem but mine,” Szymanski said.

The Lookouts rallied twice, taking a 3-2 lead in the third inning and a 6-4 lead in the fifth. The two-run advantage was courtesy of Jerry Gil’s three-run homer to right-center, and Cody Strait extended the lead to 7-4 in the sixth with a homer off the scoreboard in left.

Strait actually homered off the scoreboard image of his face, which felt better than a foul ball he hit last season that fractured his orbital socket.

“Better up there on the board than in real life,” he said.

Lookouts starting pitcher Daryl Thompson left with a three-run lead, but Derrik Lutz allowed five runs on three singles, two walks and a throwing error while recording just one out. Justin James allowed six runs on three hits and four walks in the ninth, but Anderson’s error resulted in only two of the runs being earned.

Thompson had allowed just three earned runs through his first six starts but gave up four Wednesday, as his ERA basically doubled from 0.72 to 1.45.

“I don’t think he was quite as sharp today as he has been in the past, but it’s tough to continue to throw the way he had been throwing,” Goff said. “He’s had a quality outing every time out, but at the same time, he got us six innings and should have won that ball game.”

James Avery (0-1, 4.91) is scheduled to start tonight’s 7:15 game for the Lookouts, with James Russell (0-0, 1.50) scheduled for the Smokies. Russell was scheduled to start Wednesday, but the Chicago Cubs sent Mark Holliman down from Triple-A Iowa.

Having more than 24 hours to stew over what transpired was not what the Lookouts wanted.

“You try to say you’re not going to dwell on it, but you are for a few hours and hope you can let it go,” Goff said. “I don’t put this on the bullpen. We gave up a couple of runs early on an outfielder drifting on a fly ball. We come up throwing to the wrong bag and don’t keep double plays in order. You can’t give teams five or six outs. You’ve got to play smart.

“Hopefully these guys will come out tomorrow with their heads out of their behinds and will play the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”