April 16, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes
April 16, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
SEA DOGS SECURE SERIES The Portland Sea Dogs earned a series win over Reading Fightin Phils after taking the finale 9-5 on Sunday afternoon. Eddinson Paulino launched his third homer in two days while Kyle Teel crushed his first of the season. Matthew Lugo recorded his second long ball of the season in the top of the ninth. Marcelo Mayer extended a seven-game hitting streak after going two-for-four. Brendan Cellucci earned his first win of the season while Ryan Zeferjahn recorded his first save. Mayer began the scoring in the top of the first with a single to right field to drive in Paulino. Bryce Ball countered in the bottom of the inning with a bases-loaded walk and the game was tied, 1-1. Paulino smoked his third homer of the season in the top of the second to center field and the three-run shot put Portland back on top, 4-1. Mickey Gasper reached on a missed catch error, assist to second base to allow Mayer to score before an RBI single from Alex Binelas would extend the 6-1 lead. In the bottom of the third, Gabriel Rincones Jr. hit a two-run homer to left field to cut the lead in half. Reading scored a run in the bottom of the sixth after Marcus Lee Sang grounded into a force out to allow Ball to score. In the bottom of the seventh, Kendall Simmons doubled to left field to score Haley but Portland held on. Lugo launched a homer (2) to left in the top of the ninth and with a solo shot to right, the Sea Dogs took the finale, 9-5.
HOME RUN HITTERS Portland launched 12 homers across six games in Reading last week. Eddinson Paulino now leads the team with three on the season. Roman Anthony and Matthew Lugo have each hit a pair while Nick Decker, Max Ferguson, Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel, and Nick Yorke all tallied one in Reading. With twelve collectively, Portland now ties for first in the Eastern League alongside the Somerset Patriots. Portland ties for second in all of Double-A just behind the Midland RockHounds who have 13 collectively.
MAYER ON FIRE Marcelo Mayer is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak along with a seven-game on base streak coming into today. The top prospect also ranks eighth across all Eastern League batters in average after accumulating a .357 average across seven games. Across those seven games, he has tallied seven runs, ten hits, one double, one homer, five RBI and a pair of stolen bags. He leads Sea Dogs batters in runs and hits coming into the day.
PROMISING PROSPECTS IN PORTLAND The top three prospects in Boston's system (according to MLB.com and Baseball America) will begin the season in Portland with Marcelo Mayer (1), Roman Anthony (2), and Kyle Teel (3) headling the Opening Day Roster. Mayer appeared in 43 games with Portland in 2023 prior to a shoulder injury that ended his season in early August. Both Anthony and Teel were promoted to Portland for the final 10 games of last season. In their first glimpses of Double-A, Anthony hit .343 with four doubles, one homer, and three stolen bases while Teel recorded a .363 average with six doubles, two home runs, and three stolen bases. All three prospects were invited to Winter Weekend with the Red Sox in 2023 while also earning invitations to the inaugural Spring Breakout Game. Teel was named to the Spring Breakout First Team at the catcher position.
JACKIE ROBINSON DAY The Portland Sea Dogs will take the field today all wearing the No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day which was celebrated across Major League Baseball yesterday, April 15th. On April 15th, 1947, Jackie Robsinson broke the color barrier when he made his historic Major League Debut. The league honors his legacy annually after the dedication of Jackie Robinson Day in 2004 by wearing No. 42 which was retired throughout the Majors in 1997.
ROSTER REVIEW The Portland Sea Dogs will begin the season with 22 returning players from the 2023 season. Among the Opening Day roster, 9 players rank in the Red Sox top 30 prospect rankings according to MLB.com to enter the 2024 season.
EXTENSION FOR EPPERSON Chad Epperson will return for his third season as the Sea Dogs manager, becoming just one of four managers in franchise history to lead for three or more seasons. The Sea Dogs own a .540 winning percentage and 148-126 record with Epperson at the healm since he began in 2022.
THIS DAY IN SEA DOGS HISTORY: April 16, 1995 - Andy Larkin and Doug Pettit combined on a four-hitter as Portland blanked Bowie, 2-0.
PITCHING PREVIEW RHP Wikelman Gonzalez will take the mound for the Sea Dogs tonight in game one of the series. He has faced the Fisher Cats once in his career on 7/23/23 where he pitched 6.0 hitless innings allowing one run while walking four and striking out ten. In that outing, he a part of a combined no-hitter alongside Brendan Cellucci (2.0 IP) and Luis Guerrero (1.0 IP) which marked the second no-hitter of the season and seventh in franchise history. That start marked his first start at Hadlock Field and just second in his Double-A career.
Eastern League Stories from April 16, 2024
- Yard Goats Start Road Trip in Style, Down Somerset 5-1 - Hartford Yard Goats
- Senators Walk off Richmond - Harrisburg Senators
- Reading Falls to Binghamton on the Road in Series Opener - Reading Fightin Phils
- Escarra Shines But Somerset Drops Series Opener to Hartford - Somerset Patriots
- Erie Bats Blanked in First Shutout Loss of 2024 - Erie SeaWolves
- DeLauter Goes Deep, Webb Tosses Beauty as Akron Wins 6-0 - Akron RubberDucks
- Gasper Homers in 10-2 Loss to Fisher Cats - Portland Sea Dogs
- Binghamton Pitching Ties Franchise Record in Strikeouts, Led by Tidwell's 10 K's - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Squirrels Fall in Walk-Off to Open Road Trip to Harrisburg - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Baysox Use Long Ball to Win Series Opener vs Altoona - Chesapeake Baysox
- Late Baysox Blasts Bury Curve Tuesday Night - Altoona Curve
- April 16, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes - Portland Sea Dogs
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