Sea Dogs move into 1st place while Red Sox flounder

PORTLAND, Maine — The Sea Dogs took sole possession of first place in the Eastern League’s Northeast Division Sunday afternoon with a 5-8 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

Powered by the top three baseball prospects in the Red Sox organization, along with other teammates, the Dogs took five out of six games against New Hampshire this week, winning five straight games, Wednesday through Sunday.

Meanwhile, the AA affiliate’s parent team in Boston spent most of the previous seven days flirting with last place in their division.

The injury-riddled Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday 6-1, taking six of their last 10 games.

At the same time, Portland has now won nine of their last 10 games.

Pitchers Wikelman Gonzalez earned his first win of the season on Sunday while Ryan Zeferjahn tallied his second save. Outfielder Phillip Sikes went three-for-four and second baseman Nick Yorke went two-for-five, leading the Portland offensive attack.

Shortstop Marcelo Mayer doubled in the fourth inning, driving in a run. Mayer is the Boston Red Sox’s No. 1 prospect and could find himself in a major league uniform before the end of the season.

Mayer came into the weekend riding a 10-game hitting streak, the longest thus far in the Eastern League.

On Friday night, with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Mayer delivered a single to right field, driving in a run and giving the Sea Dogs their first walk-off win of the season. After going hitless on Saturday, Mayer went 1-for-5 on Sunday, swatting a double in the fourth inning.

Center Fielder Roman Anthony is the Sox’s No. 2 prospect. Anthony is hitting .256 and slugging .385, with 12 hits in 12 games, over 43 at bats. The 19-year-old is the second youngest player in the league and had two hits over the weekend.

Catcher Kyle Teel, listed as the Sox’s No. 3 prospect, has 10 hits and two home runs after 39 at bats this season.

Matthew Lugo, who has been with Portland since 2022, had a great weekend, going two-for-two on Saturday, driving in four runs and launching his team-leading third home run of the season to center field in the sixth. On Sunday, he hit his third double of the season.

A Puerto Rican native, the third baseman was drafted in the second round (69th overall) by the Red Sox in 2019.

Portland now heads to Hartford, Connecticut, for a six-game series against the second place Yard Goats, starting Tuesday. The Sea Dogs return to Maine on April 30 to start a dozen-game homestand.