Fort Wayne TinCaps hurlers Lake Bachar (left) and Jose Galindo came within one out of pitching a combined perfect game Thursday at Four Winds Field. (Photo by Emma Reese/South Bend Cubs)

The Fort Wayne TinCaps nearly pitched a perfect game against the South Bend Cubs on Thursday, losing the bid with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Cubs DH Jhonny Pereda — the No. 9 hitter in the lineup — hit a double to end the perfect game, but he was the only South Bend player who reached base. The TinCaps had to settle for a 7-0 shutout instead of a more impressive, nine-inning perfect game.

But it certainly was still impressive. TinCaps starter Lake Bachar (W, 3-0) struck out seven in seven perfect innings, and presumably was taken out of the game (after throwing 74 pitches, 50 for strikes) because he is still working his way back from a shoulder injury that delayed the start of his season until July. Reliever Jose Galindo went the rest of the way for Fort Wayne, striking out one batter in his two innings of work marred only by Pereda’s double.

Offensively for the TinCaps, designated hitter Jorge Ona slugged his ninth homer and stole his seventh base of the season. Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. hit three doubles — he now has 25 two-baggers this season — and collected his 67th RBI of the year.

Kernels two-hit Bees

Three Cedar Rapids Kernels pitchers combined to two-hit the Burlington Bees in an 8-0 shutout Thursday.

Starter Patrick McGuff walked two and struck out one in four hitless innings. He has pitched for the Kernels all season, but this was his first start.

Reliever Evan Sanders — who got the win — gave up both Bees hits, issued a walk, hit a batter, and struck out two in three innings. Reliever Colton Davis hit a batter but otherwise didn’t allow a base-runner in his two innings, and he notched a pair of strikeouts in the process.

Kernels centerfielder Aaron Whitefield went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs batted in, and a stolen base.

L-Kings win on walk-off HR

The Clinton LumberKings beat the Kane County Cougars 3-2 Thursday, winning the game on a walk-off homer by right-fielder Gareth Morgan. It was his 13th round-tripper of the season.

Cougars first baseman Ramon Hernandez also went deep, hitting a two-run shot in the 4th for his 10th home run of the year.

LumberKings second baseman Jhombeyker Morales went 0-for-3 in Thursday’s game, after going 4-for-4 on Wednesday and 3-for-3 with a walk on Tuesday.