DAYTON, Ohio – The TinCaps dropped the rubber match of their series with the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds), 4-2, on a steamy Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.

With the temperature hitting 90 degrees, it was a matchup of two of the top left-hander pitchers in the Midwest League in Fort Wayne’s Logan Allen (L) and Dayton’s Scott Moss.

After two scoreless innings, the Dragons (36-20) manufactured a run in the third inning. Hector Vargas led off with a single followed by a T.J. Friedl bunt single. Jose Siri then put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to third and second, respectively. Taylor Trammell scored Vargas with a sac fly.

Trammell increased Dayton’s lead to 2-0 with a two-out double in the fifth to bring home Bruce Yari, who had led off with a walk.

Allen struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings. He left after the Trammell double with 98 pitches thrown (65 strikes).

Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. led the game off with a single, and that was the only hit the TinCaps mustered against Moss, who walked two and struck out six across six innings.

The Dragons increased their advantage to 3-0 in the seventh when Friedl pulled a two-out solo home run to right field.

The TinCaps (19-38) finally got on the board, with some help, in the eighth. Designated hitter Brad Zunica was hit by a pitch from reliever Joel Kuhnel. Two batters later, catcher Marcus Greene Jr. singled to left. Zunica scored from second base when Tatis hit a grounder to short that was thrown away by Vargas, Dayton’s shortstop. Greene moved to third on that play and came home on a wild pitch with right fielder Jack Suwinski batting. But with one out, Suwinski struck out, and so did left fielder Jorge Oña after that.

The Dragons added an insurance run in their half of the eighth inning, and that essentially sealed the deal. Fort Wayne went down in order in the ninth.

Everyone in the Midwest League is off on Monday. The TinCaps kick off a week-long homestand at Parkview Field on Tuesday.