TinCaps drop two in South Bend

SOUTH BEND — The TinCaps entered their crucial series with the Cubs on Saturday having won seven of their last nine games.

With hopes of making a playoff push, the hot streak needed to continue.

They exit the weekend licking wounds, and with more distance between them and the wild card spot.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps began their six-game road trip, including a critical set with the current wild card leader South Bend Cubs, with a pair of losses to the Cubs at Four Winds Field.

The TinCaps, who at 20-29 in the second half are now 10 games behind the Cubs for the Midwest League Eastern Division wild card spot, began the road swing with a 3-0 loss Saturday, and fell 8-3 on Sunday. They are 3-7 in their last 10 road games and 22-37 overall away from Parkview Field.

South Bend (27-22 second half, 64-53 overall) scored twice in the second inning Saturday. It added a run on a passed ball in the eighth inning.

Catcher Blake Hunt was the only TinCap to figure out the Cubs’ pitching as he was 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base. Fort Wayne only had five hits on the night, struck out a dozen times and was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Also Saturday, Dwanya Williams-Sutton had his league-leading 26 game on-base streak come to an end as he went 0-for-4. The last time he didn’t reach base was July 4, and since then he batted .256 with a .473 on-base percentage. He had 20 hits, including five doubles, 15 RBIs, walked 15 times and was hit by a pitch 18 times.

Fort Wayne spoiled another strong start by Ryan Weathers on Sunday. The seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft threw five innings of one-run ball, allowed five hits and struck out one. After exiting the game with a 3-1 advantage, the bullpen gave up the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

In his last three starts, which have covered 16 innings, Weathers has not issued a walk.

Jose Quezada was charged with a blown save and the loss. In 1 1/3 innings he allowed five earned runs on four hits with two walks.

Michael Curry was 2-for-3 with a double and a single in the loss. Jawuan Harris and Justin Lopez also doubled, which scored Agustin Ruiz in the fourth inning.

In the fifth, Fort Wayne went ahead 3-1 as Tyler Benson scored on a double steal with Tucupita Marcano. The latter also swiped third base, and a throwing error allowed him to come home.

The final game of the series with South Bend is slated for 7:05 p.m. tonight. Edwuin Bencomo (0-0, 3.38 ERA) is expected to make his first start as a TinCap. The Cubs will counter with Cam Sanders (6-4, 3.03 ERA).