Salem’s Mackay rebounds in second pro start to stifle Indians

Doug Mackay weathered the storm.

The Salem-Keizer right-hander didn’t pay much attention to the lightning that swirled around Avista Stadium on Thursday night. Mackay was more concerned with not repeating the stormy start he had to his professional baseball career last week.

Mackay (1-0) threw five shutout innings while leading the Volcanoes past the Spokane Indians 4-1 in Northwest League play.

Mackay allowed three singles, struck out two, walked none and allowed just one runner to reach second base. The performance was a far cry from his pro debut, when he allowed five runs in two innings against Eugene.

“I let nerves get to me,” said the University of Utah product. “It was obviously my first professional start. This time, I was able to get relaxed and pitch my kind of game.”

Both teams are 4-3 heading into tonight’s rubber game of the five-game series. The Volcanoes have won two consecutive games after Spokane opened the set with two wins.

Dark clouds and light rain threatened to cut short the contest, but the weather improved for the final two innings.

“It was kind of funny when I was on the mound and lightning struck,” Mackay said. “I heard the crowd (reaction), but I wasn’t really affected by it.”

Rain started with Spokane at bat in the sixth inning. The showers grew heavier for the S-K seventh, but eased by the bottom of the frame.

Mackay, a native Utahan, played three seasons for the Utes and was drafted in 22nd round of this month’s amateur draft.

Mackay worked a scoreless first inning in his curtain-opening game against Eugene, but his second inning was a humbling experience.

“I went out there and tried to do too much,” he said. “I got off my game plan. I’m a pitcher who gets a lot of groundouts and flyouts, and I don’t strike out a lot of people.

“Tonight I just realized I’m here to have fun. I just relaxed myself.”

Jose Yens handed Mackay a 1-0 lead with a home run to left-center in the second off Justin Lensch (1-1).

The Volcanoes added three runs in the fourth, an inning that got under the skin of Indians pitching coach Dave Chavarria.

S-K loaded the bases on a walk to Jeff Palumbo, a single by Kevin Frandsen and an infield single by Will Thompson.

Palumbo scored on a wild pitch, and Simon Klink walked to load the bases again. Chavarria visited the mound after a 2-0 count to Yens, questioning the strike zone of home-plate umpire Garrett Wilson. The exchange resulted in an ejection and a brief argument in which Chavarria turned his baseball cap backward.

Notes

Tonight is the first of four $1 Family Feast Nights. Hot dogs, Pepsi products and ice cream sandwiches will cost a buck. … Right-handers Craig Whitaker (0-0, 0.00) of the Volcanoes and Kevin Altman (0-0, 5.40) of the Indians are the starters.