By MIKE MONACO

SOUTH BEND – Jake Stinnett continued a stellar stretch of South Bend starting pitching, but the Cubs fell, 5-2, to the Lake County Captains in the series opener Tuesday night at Four Winds Field.

Cubs right-hander Jake Stinnett bounced back from a rocky outing Wednesday to throw five innings in which he allowed just one unearned run. After issuing eight free passes (seven walks and a hit batsman) and only recording seven outs against Fort Wayne in his last outing, Stinnett surrendered just two hits to the Captains.

Chicago’s second-round pick this past summer, Stinnett induced 12 swings-and-misses of his 78 pitches, though he did walk five. The former Maryland star left in line for his first professional win, but Lake County scored one in the seventh and one in the eighth to nab the win.

Stinnett walked the tightrope early, stranding four runners through the first two scoreless innings. But Lake County snuck through in the third, pushing ahead 1-0 on two walks and a South Bend error with two outs.

South Bend designated hitter Justin Marra wasted no time leveling the score, leading off the bottom of the third by clobbering a solo home run to deep center field.

Cubs left fielder Charcer Burks deftly dropped in a two-out RBI single to right-center field in the bottom of the fifth, plating Marra from third and pushing South Bend ahead 2-1.

The Captains placed runners at the corners with one out in the seventh against South Bend reliever Jordan Minch, and third baseman Taylor Murphy dropped down a game-tying safety squeeze to even the score, 2-2.

Lake County threatened again in the eighth against Cubs righty Francisco Carrillo with runners at the corners and, again, one out. The Captains sent the runner at first and a hard-hit ground ball spun right to South Bend shortstop Gleyber Torres. The Cubs tried to turn two, but Captains baserunner David Armendariz was ruled safe at second, and the run from third lifted Lake County ahead, 3-2.

Captains left fielder Dorssys Paulino then pushed a two-run, two-out single through the right side in the top of the ninth to widen the margin to 5-2.

In one full cycle through South Bend’s six-man starting rotation, the Cubs have posted a 0.85 ERA (three earned runs in 31.2 innings). The last four starters — Stinnett, Ryan Williams, Trevor Clifton and Zach Hedges — have not allowed an earned run through 20.2 innings.

South Bend and Lake County square off in the middle tilt of their three-game series Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Four Winds Field. Cubs right-hander Jeremy Null (1-0, 1.64 ERA) will oppose Captains lefty Anderson Polanco (0-1, 3.60 ERA).