April 26, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes

April 26, 2024 – Eastern League (EL)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release

YORKE HOMER POWERS PORTLAND TO WIN The Portland Sea Dogs (11-5) defeated the Hartford Yard Goats (9-7) 3-2 on Thursday night. Nick Yorke hit his second homer in as many days while Alex Hoppe earned his first save. Helcris Olivarez tallied his first win with the Red Sox Organization. Portland capitalized early in the top of the first after plating three runs on five hits. Eddinson Paulino reached on a leadoff single before Yorke brought him home with his third homer of the season. The two-run shot to left field put Portland on the board, 2-0. Mickey Gasper hit a single to put another runner on before a single off the bat of Phillip Sikes would drive him in and give Portland a 3-0 lead. Hartford countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Yanquiel Fernandez hit an RBI single to score Adael Amador while Braxton Fulford singled in Bladimir Resituyo but Portland held on. Hoppe came in to relieve in the bottom of the eighth and would go on to retire all six Yard Goats he faced into the bottom of the ninth to preserve the 3-2 win.

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.

HAVE A HIT Four Sea Dogs are currently riding a hit streak coming into today. Matthew Lugo is riding an eight-game streak where he has gone 10-30 with four runs, one triple, four doubles, two home runs, twelve RBI, five walks, and four strikeouts….