April 24, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes
April 24, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
NINTH-INNING RALLY FALLS SHORT The Portland Sea Dogs (9-5) drop series opener 9-5 to the Hartford Yard Goats (9-5) despite ninth-inning rally. Blaze Jordan launched first homer while tallying a four-RBI night. Roman Anthony put Portland on the board in the top of the third inning with a single to center field to score Phillip Sikes. Jordan crushed his first homer of the season in the top of the fourth with a leadoff solo shot to left field to extend a 2-0 lead. Hartford countered in the bottom of the inning after an RBI groundout from Ryan Ritter would put the Yard Goats on the board. Zach Kokoska would double to score Braxton Fulford and tie the game at two. Ritter did damage in the bottom of the fifth, driving in three runs with a bases-clearing triple to put Hartford on top, 5-2. Kokoska hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Ritter and extend a 6-2 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Ritter doubled to left field to score Fulford before another sacrifice fly from Kokoska would drive in Ritter yet again. A solo shot off the bat of Nic Kent would give Hartford a seven-run lead and cap off the three-run inning. Portland rallied in the top of the ninth, bringing home four runs to score. After three walks loaded the bases, Jordan would hit his third double of the season to right field. The line drive would clear the bases and put Portland within four. Nick Yorke reached on a fielding error by Ritter before Hartford made their second pitching change of the inning. Matthew Lugo hit a double (4) to left field to drive in Jordan and cut the lead to three runs but Hartford held on and took game one, 9-6.
LET'S GO LUGO Matthew Lugo was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of April 15th-21st. Lugo drove in ten of Portland's 27 runs scored against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats last series. Lugo appeared in five games for the Sea Dogs hitting .438 (7-for-16) for the week with three doubles, a triple, a home run, three runs scored, and 10 RBI. He led the league in doubles (3), RBI (10), Slugging Percentage (.938), and OPS (1.509). He ranked second in the league in walks (five), third in average (.438), and third in OBP (.571). Lugo has hit safely in six straight games. On Wednesday night, Lugo broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning with a bases-loaded triple to give the Sea Dogs a 5-2 win over the Fisher Cats. One night later, on Thursday in a scoreless game in the seventh inning, Lugo delivered a RBI double to give the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead, a game they went on to win 3-0, with Lugo driving in two of the runs. Lugo's biggest game of the week came on Saturday when he reached base five times in a 2-for-2 performance with three walks, a home run, and four RBI as the Sea Dogs defeated the Fisher Cats 6-2.
WELCOME TO PORTLAND RHP Jonathan Brand was promoted from High-A Greenville prior to tonight's game in Hartford. Brand pitched in six games with the Drive prior to his promotion where he tossed 11.2 innings allowing one run on eight hits while walking three and striking out eighteen. He held opponenets to a .186 average against him. LHP Brendan Cellucci was also promoted to Triple-A Worcester prior to tonight. Cellucci held a 1-0 record and a 2.84 ERA across 6.1 IP with Portland this season. After spending 2023 with the Sea Dogs, he accumulated a 2-2 record with a 4.83 ERA across 59.2 IP while striking out 76 during his Double-A career.
HOME RUN HITTERS Portland launched twelve homers across six games in Reading during their last road series. Eddinson Paulino and Matthew Lugo now lead the team with three on the season. Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel have each hit a pair while Nick Decker, Max Ferguson, Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, Mickey Gapser, and Blaze Jordan all have tallied one. Portland ties for second place in the Eastern League alongside the Bowie Baysox with sixteen total. Somerset ranks first with twenty-one collectively.
AMONGST BASEBALL'S BEST According to a recent ranking by Baseball America, the Portland Sea Dogs rank second in the "1O Most Talented Minor League Baseball Teams for 2024". Portland comes in just behind the Norfolk Tides (Orioles AAA) who rank first. The Sea Dogs are the only other team besides the Tides to have three Top 100 Prospects on their roster.
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) headlining 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.
THIS DAY IN SEA DOGS HISTORY: April 24, 1995 - Tim Clark drove in four runs in Portland's 11-5 win over New Britain. The win was the 11th in a row for the Sea Dogs - the second longest winning streak in franchise history.
PITCHING PREVIEW LHP Zach Penrod will take the mound in game two of the series. This is the first time he will see Hartford in his career. Penrod last pitched on 4/18 against New Hampshire where he tossed 5.1 scoreless innings allowing one hit while walking three and striking out six. He had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning.
Eastern League Stories from April 24, 2024
- Yanquiel Fernandez Blasts 3-Run Homer But Yard Goats Fall to Portland - Hartford Yard Goats
- Rumble Ponies Explode in Seventh Inning in Win at New Hampshire - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Toribio Slams First Homer in 6-3 Win Over Baysox - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Sixth-Inning Homer Dooms Baysox on Wednesday - Chesapeake Baysox
- April 24, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes - Portland Sea Dogs
- Cowles Picks Up First Double-A Homer, Patriots Drop Tight Battle in Reading - Somerset Patriots
- Fightin Phils Stay Hot with Third Straight Victory - Reading Fightin Phils
- Erie Falls in 10 After Blown Save - Erie SeaWolves
- Bats Wake up Just in Time to Boost Senators in 10 - Harrisburg Senators
- Planez, RubberDucks Topple Curve, 8-7 - Akron RubberDucks
- Altoona Drops Fifth-Straight Game on Wednesday - Altoona Curve
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