CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers were limited to just three hits on Sunday afternoon, as the Threshers suffered a series loss after falling 5-1 to the Palm Beach Cardinals at Bright House Field.

The Threshers (26-17) have been handed three straight losses for the first time in the 2016 season. It was also their first series defeat since Lakeland took two-of-three from Clearwater from April 29 to May 1.

Blake McKnight turned in his best start of the season for Palm Beach (20-24), holding the Threshers to just an unearned run on three hits and two walks in a career-high eight innings.

The Cardinals struck early against Thomas Eshelman (2-2), plating two unearned runs in the second inning. Palm Beach has not trailed in the series.

Blake Drake singled to start the frame after a ten-pitch at-bat, and with one out an error on Mitch Walding put runners at first and second. After Cole Lankford grounded out to advance both runners, Chris Rivera pulled a single to left to bring in two.

Casey Grayson added an RBI single in the third, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.

Eshelman took the loss despite a solid outing, in which he was charged with three runs - one earned - on eight hits and two walks. He struck out eight batters in his 5.2 innings.

The lone run for the Threshers came in the sixth.

Carlos Tocci lofted a single into right-center to lead off the inning, giving the Threshers just their second hit of the ballgame. Andrew Pullin then yanked a grounder to first that was fielded by the first baseman Grayson, who stepped on the bag and fired down to second in attempt to get the reverse-force double play on Tocci.

Instead, Grayson's throw sailed over the shortstop Oscar Mercado covering, allowing Tocci to sprint down to third base with just one out.

Walding attacked the next pitch and sent a fly ball to left, deep enough to allow Tocci to tag and slip across the plate just ahead of the throw from Lankford in left. That cut the deficit to 3-1, but the Cardinals tacked on insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings to go ahead by four.

Clearwater will look to salvage the series finale on Monday, as the Threshers send Matt Imhof to the hill (4-2) against lefty Jacob Evans (2-3). First pitch will be at 7 p.m., and the game can be heard live on the Threshers Broadcast Network starting at 6:45 p.m.