April 9, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes
April 9, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
SEA DOGS SHUTOUT The Portland Sea Dogs (0-1) fall 1-0 to the Hartford Yard Goats (1-0) to open the 2024 season at Hadlock Field. Red Sox No. 2 prospect, Roman Anthony, a multi-hit game going two-for-four while top prospect, Marcelo Mayer went one-for-two with a double. Angel Bastardo fired 5.0 innings to start before Theo Denlinger relieved with 2.0 scoreless innings. Christopher Troye finished the job with 2.0 hitless innings and four strikeouts out of the bullpen. Ryan Ritter worked a leadoff walk in the third before going on to steal both second and third base. He came home to score on an RBI groundout from Bladimir Resituyo to record the only run on either side. Portland threatened with a pair of runners in the bottom of the ninth after Mayer reached on an error before a hit-by-pitch but Blaze Jordan aboard. However, Hartford pitching held on to complete the 1-0 shutout over Portland.
2023 SEASON SUMMARY The Portland Sea Dogs finished the regular season 73-63 (.537), third in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League. Portland threw not one, but two no-hitters. On the anniversary of Brayan Bellos's seven inning complete game no-hitter on May 5, 2022, Chih-Jung Liu threw a seven inning no- hitter in Akron against the RubberDucks. The Sea Dogs then threw a combined no-hitter on July 23 against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in front of the home crowd at Hadlock Field. Wikelman Gonzalez started the game, tossing 6.0 innings then Brendan Cellucci entered and threw 2.0 innings while Luis Guerrero closed things in the ninth inning. It was the first time in franchise history that the Sea Dogs recorded two no-hitters in the same season. As a team, they stole 231 bases a new team record for a single season while the pitching staff chipped in to record 1,308 strikeouts also a franchise record. Ceddanne Rafaela swiped a franchise record six stolen bases in a single game on May 13th against the Somerset Patriots while the Sea Dogs stole nine bases in total that game, another franchise record.
SPRING SNOW Portland and Hartford were snowed out for the first two games of the 2024 regular season. This is the fifth time in the Sea Dogs' 31-year history that Opening Day has been postponed due to snow and sixth overall. The previous four postponements due to snow or field conditions due to melting snow came in 2001, 2003, 2007, & 2015. In 2017, the game was rained out.
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.
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 8, 2022 - David Hamilton finished a double shy of the cycle on Opening Night, making his Boston Red Sox organizational debut going four-for-five with a single, triple, and two home runs. Hamilton tripled in his first at bat, then blasted a two-run homer in the second inning, and an RBI single in the third. He crushed a grand slam in the fourth. Portland went on to win 11-6 over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
PITCHING PREVIEW RHP Wikelman Gonzalez will get the ball for the first game against the Reading Fightin Phils. Gonzalez has faced the Fighins twice in his career. His first start in Double-A came against the Fightins in Reading on 7/16/23 where he tossed 6.0 scoreless innings allowing four hits while walking one and striking out nine. Gonzalez faced them once more on 9/9/23 where he held Reading scoreless through 3.0 innings allowing two hits and three walks while striking out six.
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Eastern League Stories from April 9, 2024
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