May 17, 2024 Sea Dogs Game Notes

May 17, 2024 – Eastern League (EL)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release

SIKES, LUGO HOMERS POWER 5-1 WIN The Portland Sea Dogs power a 5-1 win over the Somerset Patriots on Thursday night. Phillip Sikes launched his second homer of the season while Matthew Lugo smoked his team-leading eighth long ball. Wikelman Gonzalez fired 5.0 one-run innings while striking out six. Wyatt Olds and Jacob Webb combined for 4.0 scoreless in relief. Lugo worked a walk to leadoff the second inning before stealing second base (7). Eddinson Paulino worked a walk behind him to put two on. Sikes would put Portland on the board first with a two-run homer to right field to mark his second of the season. In the top of the third, Kyle Teel worked a walk before Lugo would bring him home with a homer to dead center. The two-run shot gave Portland a 5-0 lead. Somerset’s lone run on the day would come in the bottom of the fourth inning. An RBI double off the bat of Ben Rice drove in Agustin Ramirez but the pair of Portland homers would be enough to power the 5-1 win.

MATTHEW MASHES Matthew Lugo launched his team-leading eighth homer of the season yesterday which also ties for second most across the Eastern League alongside Ben Rice (SOM). Agustin Ramirez leads the category with twelve total. Lugo leads the team in average (.304) while ranking eighth in the league. He leads the Eastern League in slugging (.674) and OPS (1.070) while recording the third most RBI in the league (26). His sixteen extra-base hits abd 62 total bases ranks third best across the league.

MAYER ATOP THE MOUNTAIN Marcelo Mayer now leads all of Double-A in doubles with fifteen total. His fifteen on the season also ties for first in all of the minors. Mayer also leads the Eastern League in extra-base hits whith eighteen total which also ranks second best in all of Double-A. He ranks second in hits (40) in the league and ranks second in runs (25).

OLD STOMPING GROUNDS Mickey Gasper, who was selected by the Red Sox in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in 2023, was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 27th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Bryant Univerity. Gasper spent 132 games with the Somerset Patriots combined over 2021-2023. He split time with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season and hit .269 with a .423 OBP over 52 games with the Patriots in 2023. Gasper comes into today with nine doubles, three homers, five RBI, and three stolen bases. He rode a 17-game on-base streak…