For starters

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Fort Wayne continued a season-worst losing streak with a 5-3 loss to Bowling Green on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark in Kentucky.Today 11:14 pm

Video: TinCaps manager Jose Valentin

Fort Wayne manager Jose Valentin reflects on a four-game losing streak and his TinCaps' first four-game sweep at home since 2006. The team lost to division-leading South Bend 7-3 on Friday.Today 3:00 am

Notebook: South Bend 7, TinCaps 3

Fort Wayne dropped its fourth-straight game, a season high streak, against South Bend on Friday. The 7-3 loss by the TinCaps moved them 4 1/2 games out of first place in the Midwest League Eastern Division standings.Friday

Fort Wayne begins its crucial three-game series against West Michigan with James Needy on the mound.

With six games remaining in the regular season, the TinCaps are tied with Lake County for the top spot in the Eastern Division among eligible teams. Lake County holds the tie-breaker, placing the TinCaps as the wild card. West Michigan trails both teams by two games.

Bowling Green is at Lake County.

Bowling Green and Lansing qualified in the first half.

Needy is 6-2 with a 1.95 ERA. He is making his fourth start and his 32nd appearance overall this year. Since joining the rotation on Aug. 10, he is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA.

Needy threw six scoreless innings against West Michigan in his last start, a game the TinCaps won 4-1.

Wilsen Palacios is the starter for West Michigan. He is 11-9 with a 3.85 ERA. He is 1-3 with a 5.57 ERA against Fort Wayne this year.