Anybody want to be a closer?

The money's great at the highest level, of course. But unless you're Mariano Rivera, it can be an excruciating way to earn it.

Don't ask Brad Lidge if he's loving the gig right now. And please don't ask the Lancaster Barnstormers' closer, Antonio Alfonseca.

The Barnstormers wasted an otherwise clean, efficient performance, and Zack Parker's brilliant pitching, when Alfonseca coughed up three ninth-inning runs and the game, 4-3 to the Candem Riversharks before 7,819 Saturday at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

That's the same Alfonseca who was with the Phillies just two years ago, and who delivered a 45-save, 1.96 earned-run average season for the Florida Marlins nine years back.

It was his eighth blown save of the year. ERA going into Saturday: 7.77.

He's still the closer, manager Tom Herr said.

"That's what we got him for," Herr said. "If his stuff wasn't there, we might have a decision to make, but that hasn't been the case. The guy's just been very unfortunate."

Bad luck was, indeed, part of Saturday night's story. More than any other single play, the one that swung it was a dribbler to Alfonseca, off the bat of Camden's John Purdom, that opened the ninth.

It bounced off Alfonseca's glove for a cheap single.

With the infield now slightly in, Brett Bonvechio and Brian Finegan sent sharp grounders just past first baseman Nate Gold.

"I think he kinda misjudged how hard [Purdom's] ball was coming at him," Herr said of Alfonseca. "The next two ground balls would have been right at the first baseman. It's a 1-2-3 inning, really."

Instead it was the 7-8-9 hitters in the Camden order loading the bases with nobody out.

Chris Walker followed with a towering two-run double over Mike Woods' head in center. An out later Jon Knott won it with a sac fly to center.

Otherwise, the Barnstormers fielded and pitched and strung together enough offense to have won their third straight game. The last time they did that was July 9-11.

At 14-21 in the second half of the Atlantic League race after a lost first half, desperation time is near and playing-out-the-string time isn't far behind. That's why this was a gut-punch.

"This is a tough one to swallow," Herr said. "We've had a few of these, where you just shake your head and wonder what's going on."

Parker allowed just three hits, all singles, and four baserunners. A better way to put it: Camden never hit a ball hard against him. Just one placid out after another.

He'd have been through the seventh if not for a two-out pop-up that was simply dropped in the infield, the only serious defensive mistake Lancaster made.

Herr used three relievers to tip-toe from there through the eighth, the only damage a ringing double to center by Camden's Bryant Nelson.

It was the first run the Barnstormers had allowed in 22.2 innings.

Lancaster led 3-0 to that point although it didn't rip the cover off the ball, either. No Clip-Joint bombs on this night.

The Barnstormers scored in the first on a single, walk and single by, in order, Lloyd Turner, Matt Watson and Aaron Herr. They added two in the fifth on singles by Watson, L.J. Biernbaum and Gold along with a Herr walk.

Manager's kid and Hempfield grad Aaron Herr had two hits and a walk. He now has a six-game hit streak in which he's gone 10-for-23 with four doubles, a homer and five RBIs.

The teams complete a four-game series at 1:35 p.m. today, Jason Scobie (5-7) the scheduled starter on the mound for the Barnstormers vs. lefty Josh Brey (3-7) for Camden.

The Barnstormers wore purple jerseys with aqua numbers with white trim to promote pancreatic cancer awareness. The jerseys were auctioned off during the game and presented to the auction winners afterward, on the field, as fireworks boomed behind the the outfield.

Alfonseca, who seems patient and genial with fans and especially kids, stood quietly for a long while as other jerseys were presented.

Finally his turn came, and two little boys trundled slowly up to receive it.

Alfonseca posed for a picture with the kids, signed the jersey, utterly stoic but also, to his credit, utterly cooperative.

Then he slowly walked away.