Michael Prosecky tosses seven-inning gem, Spokane Indians edge Tri-City 2-1 on getaway day

Out of the eight Sunday games the Spokane Indians have played this season, only two have gone longer than 2 hours, 19 minutes. Indians starting pitcher Michael Prosecky did his part to keep to the script.

Prosecky, a 24-year-old lefty, made his 10th start of the season on Sunday and it was arguably his best – though he’s allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his previous appearances.

He allowed one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts and left with a lead. The bullpen made it stand.

The Indians scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, but it was enough to beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 2-1 in the finale of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Sunday.

The time of the game was 2:12.

“I’ve kind of been obsessed with executing pitches, just taking it one pitch at a time. Prosecky said. “Some days you don’t have it, some days you got some, some days you got it all. Today, everything was working for me. And just a matter of not getting too big and just staying within myself and executing the pitch.”

Prosecky only lasted three innings in the opener of the series.

“Just had to bounce back after Tuesday,” Prosecky said. “Had a rough one on Tuesday, and it’s about flushing it and moving on.”

He faced the minimum through three innings with the help of a double play.

The Indians broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third. With one out Jean Perez, Jesus Bugarin and Jared Thomas hit consecutive singles to make it 1-0. But with runners at the corners Charlie Condon popped out to right and Braylen Wimmer grounded to second.

The Indians again placed runners on first and third after back-to-back singles by Cole Messina and Andy Perez in the fourth. Perez was picked off, but Skyler Messinger followed with an RBI single to put Spokane up 2-0.

Juan Flores picked up Tri-City’s second hit of the game with a flare to right with two down in the sixth inning, and he hustled to third on an errant pickoff move. But Adrian Placencia flied to left to leave him stranded.

Tri-City’s best chance against Prosecky came in the seventh. With one down Ben Gobbel singles and Randy De Jesus walked. Prosecky struck out Rio Foster, but Anthony Scull’s soft liner to right died in front of Jesus Bugarin and Gobbel trotted in with the Dust Devils’ first run.

Prosecky settled down and blew away Alexander Ramirez on his 88th pitch for his sixth strikeout of the game.

“When the defense is making plays like they were today – I mean, they saved me,” Prosecky said. “They saved me probably at least five times today. … (Messina) did a really good job keeping me in there, mixing it up, keeping them on their toes, and just kind of go from there.”

Indians reliever Braxton Hyde put two on with one down in the eighth but got a strikeout and pop out to escape the jam.

Newly appointed closer Davis Palermo gave up a double and a walk in the ninth inning, but Capri Ortiz to pop out to end the game. It was his third save in as many tries in the series since Welinton Herrera was promoted to Double-A Hartford.

“It’s awesome. I (closed) in college a little bit at the tail end of my career and there is there’s nothing like it,” Palermo said. “You go out there and you’re trying to get ahead, throw your off your first strike. I think the moment you try to change something, you get yourself in trouble. So same approach, just keeping the adrenaline under control.”