NerwilianĀ CedeƱo extended the longest active hitting streak in the Midwest League to 12 games with a go-ahead two-run triple in the fifth inning to propel the TinCaps to a 4-1 win Friday night over South Bend in front of an announced sellout crowd of 8,096.

The TinCaps (53-77, 25-39 second half) need to win one of the final two games left in the series and the season to avoid having the worst record in the Midwest League this season.

The crowd was Fort Wayne's 18th sellout of the 2024 campaign.

The TinCaps took the lead in the second when Rosman Verdugo singled and Jacob Campbell drove him in with a triple to deep right-center to make it 1-0.

Campbell also had a double, giving him three extra-base hits in his last two games after he had only one in his first 10 games with Fort Wayne following a call-up from Low-A Lake Elsinore.

The Cubs immediately got even in the top of the third on a pair of singles, a double steal and a throwing error from catcher Ethan Salas.Ā 

The run was unearned and it was the only tally surrendered in four innings by right-hander Braden Nett. Nett gave up three hits, walked five and struck out five in his final start of the season.

The No. 20 Padres prospect gave up no more than one earned run in any of his final six starts of the season, posting a 1.24 ERA in that span.Ā 

With the score tied at 1 in the fifth, Nik McClaughry and Kai Murphy singled to put two on in front ofĀ CedeƱo, who crushed a fly ball to deep right to drive in both runners and make it 3-1. Salas added a sacrifice fly to drive inĀ CedeƱo and complete the scoring, giving him 16 RBIs in the last 16 games.Ā 

CedeƱo has been on base in 13 straight games.

Left-hander Fernando Sanchez worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out four, walking two and giving up two hits. Closer Manuel Castro pitched the final 1 1/3 frames, retiring all four hitters he faced, striking out one and earning his 12th save, second-most in the league.

Right-hander Jose Reyes will start for Fort Wayne on Saturday in a game set to get underway at 6:35 p.m.

dsinn@jg.net