April 30, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes
Published on April 30, 2024 under Eastern League (EL)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
SEA DOGS DROP SERIES ON SUNDAY The Portland Sea Dogs drop series with a 12-5 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats on Sunday afternoon. Hartford got on the board first for the first time in the series in the bottom of the first after a sacrifice fly from Zach Kokoska gave the Yard Goats a 1-0 lead in the first. In the top of the second, Portland countered with a double off the bat of Paulino (5) to drive in Yorke and tie the game at one. Yorke doubled (5) in the top of the third inning to score two runs before an RBI triple from Matthew Lugo (2) would bring him home and put Portland on top, 4-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Kokaska would score from third after a throwing error allowed Ryan Ritter to reach. Hartford would tie the game again in the bottom of the sixth after a pair of solo homers off the bats of Sterlin Thompson and Braxton Fulford would tie it at four. The seventh inning would be the difference maker for Hartford with five runs coming home to score. The Yard Goats scored five runs on five singles along with a wild pitch and a fielding error to take a 9-4 lead. In the top of the eighth, Gasper hit his second homer of the season with a fly ball to right field. With a solo shot to the second deck, he put Portland within four. Hartford would go on to score three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. An RBI double from Thompson would double the Hartford lead. Kokoska grounded out to second to allow a run to score before an RBI single from Fulford would seal the 12-5 final score.
SCORCHING SERIES FOR BLAZE Blaze Jordan's scorching week has earned him Eastern League Player of the Week honors for the week of April 22nd-28th. Jordan, a first and third baseman for the Sea Dogs, hit .444 (12-for-28) in six games for Portland during the week where he collected four doubles, two home runs, and 8 RBI. Jordan led the league with 22 total bases, 8 RBI, and tied for first with four doubles. He ranked second in average (.444), runs scored (5), slugging percentage (.815), and tied for second with two home runs. He also ranked third in the league in OPS (1.244). It marks the second consecutive week a Sea Dogs player earned Eastern League Player of the Week honors. Sea Dogs' outfielder Matthew Lugo earned the honor last week (April 15th-21st) when he hit .438 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. Jordan collected multi-hit games in five of the six last week and has a nine-game hit streak. In 17 games this season, Jordan is hitting .265 with 10 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs, and 13 RBI. The 21-year-old is ranked as the #19 prospect in the Red Sox organization by MLB.com. He was selected by the Red Sox in the third round (89th overall) in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft.
SEA DOGS STREAKS Four Sea Dogs are currently riding streaks coming into today. Matthew Lugo is riding an eleven- game hit streak coming into today. Lugo has gone 13-41 with six runs, one triple, four doubles, four home runs, fifteen RBI, seven walks, and thirteen strikeouts. Blaze Jordan is also riding a nine-game streak while going 15-39 at the plate with seven runs, four doubles, two homers, nine RBI, and four strikeouts. Nick Yorke rounds it out with a seven-game hit streak of his own after going 10-28 with seven runs, three doubles, two homers, five RBI, four walks, two strikeouts, and three stolen bags. Mickey Gasper is additionally riding a twelve-game on-base streak coming into today. Across those twelve games, he has gone 11-41 with three doubles, two homers, two RBI, nine walks, and seven strikeouts to record a .293 average during that span.
MOVIN' ON UP RHP Robert Kwiatkowski was promoted to Triple-A Worcester prior to Sunday's game. Prior to his promotion, Kwiatkowski notched a 3-0 record and 2.08 ERA across 8.2 innings and five games in relief this season. He held opponents to a .194 average against him and allowed just two runs total. Kwiatkowski appeared in thirteen games total for Portland between 2023-2024 where he earned a 3-0 record with a 3.20 ERA across 25.1 innings with the Sea Dogs. RHP Jonathan Brand was promoted from High-A Greenville prior to Thursday night'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 Thursday's game. 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.
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. In total, the current Sea Dogs roster boasts nine of Boston's Top 30 Prospects according to MLB. com with Wikelman Gonzalez (5), Nick Yorke (6), Blaze Jordan (19), Eddinson Paulino (22), Hunter Dobbins (25), and Angel Bastardo (26) completing thr group.
THIS DAY IN SEA DOGS HISTORY: April 30, 2014 - Mookie Betts goes 2-for-3 with a run scored in Portland's 3-2 loss to Reading at Hadlock Field...Betts finished April hitting .430.
PITCHING PREVIEW LHP Zach Penrod will have the start in the series opener. Penrod last pitched on 4/24 in Hartford where he tossed 2.2 innings allowing four runs (3 ER) on four hits while walking four and striking out three. He has faced the Fightins once in his career on 4/12 which also marked his Double-A debut. He tossed 5.0 scoreless innings allowing two hits while striking out eight. He did not issue a walk. Penrod held Reading to a .118 average against him.
Eastern League Stories from April 30, 2024
- Lee Sang's Two Homers Not Enough as Fightins Fall to Sea Dogs - Reading Fightin Phils
- Baysox Come from Behind Late for Series Opening Victory - Chesapeake Baysox
- Erie Offense Wakes up But Pitching Falters in Loss to Bowie - Erie SeaWolves
- Senators Edge Curve - Harrisburg Senators
- Magnificent Mace and Middle Inning Magic Lift Akron Past Richmond 3-0 - Akron RubberDucks
- Penrod Strikes out Seven in 9-3 Win - Portland Sea Dogs
- Curve Drop Back-And-Forth Affair to Senators - Altoona Curve
- Squirrels Shut out to Open 12-Game Road Trip - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Yard Goats Rained out Tuesday in Binghamton - Hartford Yard Goats
- Tuesday's Rumble Ponies Game against Hartford Postponed - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- April 30, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes - Portland Sea Dogs
- SeaWolves Announce Mother's Day Stadium Club Event - Erie SeaWolves
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
