The TinCaps dropped the opener of a three game series Wednesday against West Michigan, 6-1. The TinCaps scored on a Tyler Stubblefield RBI single in the first, but did not score again.

Stubblefield drove in Peterson, who led off the game with a single and stole second. In Peterson’s first action since Friday, the shortstop went 2 for 4 and recorded his 20th stolen base of the year. Fort Wayne (27-32) had four hits in the first six batters against West Michigan (29-30) starter Kyle Ryan (2-2).

Ryan settled down, though, and gave up seven hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking none.

The Whitecaps struggled in the first two innings as Fort Wayne’s Frank Garces (1-4) retired the side in order in both innings. In the third, though, consecutive run-scoring hits by Brandon Loy, Eugenio Suarez and Steven Moya made it a 3-1. Garces was chased from the game in the fifth inning after allowing an RBI single to Dean Green, pushing the score to 4-1. The TinCaps lefty went 4 2/3, giving up eight hits, four earned runs, two walks and striking out six.

West Michigan tacked on a single run in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh.

Fort Wayne has lost three in a row, while the Whitecaps have won four straight, and eight of the last nine.

Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Thursday. The scheduled starters are Adys Portillo for Fort Wayne and Brennan Smith for West Michigan.