Jonathan Aranda extended his hit streak to nine games in the Bowling Green Hot Rods’ 3-2 loss to the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Saturday to open a four-game series at Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The Hot Rods are 32-22 in the second half and 71-53 overall ahead of Sunday’s 2:05 p.m. CDT first pitch in the second game of the series.

The TinCaps took a 1-0 lead in the second behind a two-out homer off the bat of Ethan Skender, but the Hot Rods backed starter Easton McGee with a pair of runs in the third to take the lead. Chris Betts led off the frame with a single to right field against Fort Wayne starter Adrian Martinez. Grant Witherspoon drove Betts in to tie the game with a double to right-center, moving to third on the throw to home. Osmy Gregorio lifted a sacrifice fly to left field in the next at-bat with Witherspoon tagging and scoring to give the Hot Rods a 2-1 advantage.

Fort Wayne rallied in the sixth. With one out, Ripken Reyes and Blake Hunt tripled in consecutive at-bats to tie the game while Chris Givin worked a two-out walk to chase McGee from the game.

Reliever Chris Muller entered from the bullpen and walked both Dwanya Williams-Sutton and Ethan Skender to force home the go-ahead run to give the TinCaps a 3-2 lead. The Hot Rods were held to one hit and three walks over the final five innings, striking out 11 times as the TinCaps took game one of the four-game set.

McGee (7-5) took the loss after working 5 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Muller allowed two walks over 1 1/3 innings of work with two strikeouts. Joel Peguero threw a scoreless inning in the eighth, striking out one.

On Sunday, Bowling Green will start right-hander Caleb Sampen (9-4, 2.68) against TinCaps lefty Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.59).