Cubs Rally Falls Just Short in 4-3 Loss

FORT WAYNE, IN - The Cubs allowed four runs in the third inning on Friday night, and even though they held the TinCaps off the board the other eight innings, it wasn't enough as Fort Wayne evened up the series two games apiece.

Fort Wayne sent nine to the plate in the fourth against Brandon Birdsell. Justin Farmer began the rally with a walk and moved to third on a Jackson Merrill single. Merrill continue to thrive at the plate, picking up three more hits and finishing the night with nine hits in the series already. Merrill stole second and the throw down to the bag from Ethan Hearn skipped into center. A run scored and Merrill moved up 90 extra feet to third base. Marcos Canstañon drilled a double to left-center to double the lead. After a walk and a single loaded the bases, Carlos Luis flared a base hit into shallow left-center that scored two more.

Birdsell made it back out for the fourth inning, struck out the first two batters swinging, but was chased after a Merrill double.

From there the Cubs bullpen took over and dominated. Joe Nahas retired all 10 batters he faced and Didier Vargas retired the side in order as well in his lone inning. The bullpen really managed to keep the game within reach.

Ryan Bergert made the start for the TinCaps. Bergert spent all of last year with Fort Wayne and in 2023 is having the season of his life. The former West Virginia Mountaineer entered the night with a 1.69 ERA and lowered that gaudy number with six shutout innings. He allowed three walks and just two hits, scattering them throughout his outing.

Bergert's gem makes it back-to-back nights the home team's starter has gone six shutout innings and after scoring two runs in the very first inning of the series, the Cubs offense hasn't scored a run off a starter since. That's 21.1 scoreless innings in a row from TinCaps starting pitchers.

The Cubs chance came against Ruben Galindo in the eighth. Galindo is having a rough season and often it's been the control, or lack of, that has plagued him. Hearn began the eighth with a single and then Galindo plunked Christian Franklin. With the eight and nine hitters reaching the bullpen already starting stirring for Fort Wayne.

With one out Jacob Wetzel singled through the left side of the infield to load the bases and cause Fort Wayne to make a pitching change and bring in the reliable Bobby Milacki. But South Bend already scored a couple runs against Milacki just earlier this week on Tuesday. The first pitch the right-hander threw was ripped into right-center off the bat of James Triantos, scoring a pair. With runners at the corners now, Bryce Ball launched one to the warning track in left for a sac-fly to add another. Brandon Valenzuela threw out Triantos trying to steal second to end the threat.

Milacki would retire the Cubs in order in the ninth.