By Kevin Fitzgerald

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – The TinCaps dropped their second straight game to West Michigan, 7-1, on Thursday night. Fort Wayne can still clinch the second-half Eastern Division crown with a win against the Whitecaps in the series finale on Friday. The TinCaps lead West Michigan by two games with four left in the regular season.

Whitecaps starter Jeff Thompson (W, 7-11) befuddled the TinCaps. He tossed six no-hit innings, and Fort Wayne (42-24, 74-60) didn’t collect its first base hit until the seventh inning – which would be the visitors lone knock of the night. That was an RBI single off of Michael Gettys’ bat, plating Ruddy Giron from second base after he walked earlier that frame.

West Michigan’s David Gonzalez drove in a run off of Dinelson Lamet (L, 5-8) in the second, and then Christin Stewart drilled a two-run homer over the right-field wall in the sixth to give the home team a 3-0 lead.

The Whitecaps added three extra runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth to extend its lead to six runs.

The TinCaps go for their first division title in six years on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. Right-hander Ernesto Montas (11-7, 3.63) is set to face West Michigan righty Fernando Perez (2-11, 4.64).

You can listen to the action on WOWO 1190 AM/92.3 FM, TinCaps.com, and the TuneIn Radio app starting at 6:45 p.m.