The TinCaps lost 4-1 to the South Bend Cubs on Saturday at Four Winds Field in South Bend.
They’ve now lost two straight and four games in the six-game series. The final game is 2 p.m. Sunday.
In the 20 games since the All-Star break Fort Wayne (50-56, 19-22 second half) is 7-13.
The Cubs jumped ahead 2-0 off right-hander Will Varmette in the third on a two-run homer to right center by Cristian Hernandez, his sixth of the season, scoring Leonel Espinoza who walked.
Fort Wayne had a chance to cut into the lead in the fourth as they loaded the bases on two hits and hit batter, but Zach Evans flies out to center to end the threat.
South Bend then added to its lead as Reginald Preciado doubled to left to score Drew Bowser. Leonel Espinoza then singled to right, but Braedon Karpathios threw out Preciado at home. The hit chased Varmette and brought on C.J. Widger, who got Edgar Alvarez to line out to second baseman Rosman Verdugo to end the inning.
Varmette (1-3) gave up six hits and three runs in 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and stuck out five. Relievers Eiker Huizi and Luis Germán combined for three shutout innings in relief, striking out four batters.
The TinCaps offense made it 3-1 in the fifth on singles by Kasen Wells and Victor Duarte and two groundball outs. Braedon Karpathios was hit by pitch and stole second, but with runners on second and third Verdugo grounded out to first.
The Cubs got that run back when consecutive singles by Hernandez and Ariel Armas put runners on the corners. Armas was caught stealing but Hernandez scored on the play.
The TinCaps had five hits, but left seven runners on base and made three errors. Wells had two hits and a run scored.
Cubs’ designated hitter Armas reached all four times he went to the plate, going 3 for 3 with two singles, a double, and a walk. It is his fourth three-hit game this week and fifth of the season – all of which have come against Fort Wayne. Armas is 14 for 16 (.875) this series and has the best batting average in MiLB in August at .640. He has risen his batting average 43 points (.189 to .232)
Left-hander Evan Aschenbeck (4-4) got the win, giving up five hits in six innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
Grayson Moore got his fourth save with a scoreless ninth.