GRAND CHUTE, Wisc. – It almost happened again. For the second day in a row, the TinCaps were down 4-2 with two outs and no one on base in the top of the ninth inning at Wisconsin. Sunday, Fort Wayne found a way to rally and improbably 5-4 win. Monday night, the TinCaps found a way to score once and had the tying and go-ahead run on base, but succumbed to the Timber Rattlers, 4-3.

Shortstop Ruddy Giron, who had homered earlier in the game, struck out looking on a 1-2 curveball against Gian Rizzo (S, 1) with Trae Santos at second base and Felipe Blanco at first. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Giron smoked a pitch off the wall in left field that was just inches foul, nearly an extra-base hit that would have tied the game and likely given Fort Wayne the lead. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be for the Summit City squad on this night.

The comeback bid began when Chase Jensen hit a groundball to Wisconsin shortstop Jake Gatewood, who committed a throwing error on his toss to first. With Jensen aboard on the error, Santos walked, and Blanco delivered an RBI-single to make it 4-3.

Wisconsin (18-40) had taken an early 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in each of the first two innings. Brandon Diaz hit a leadoff homer against Jose Castillo (L, 0-1) in the first. Later in the inning, Elvis Rubio added an RBI-single. The Rattlers scored two unearned runs in the second.

Fort Wayne (24-33) went hitless against Zach Hirsch (W, 2-3) over the first five frames. Giron put the TinCaps on the board in the sixth with a solo shot, his sixth home run in 23 games. Third baseman Chase Jensen had a run-scoring grounder in the seventh.

The TinCaps have Tuesday off before returning to Parkview Field on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. to take on the Kane County Cougars (Diamondbacks). Fort Wayne is in line to start right-hander Dinelson Lamet (1-3, 4.76) against Kane County righty Brad Keller (2-6, 2.60). The game can be seen on Comcast Network 81 and heard on WOWO 1190 AM/92.3 FM, TinCaps.com, and the TuneIn Radio app.