Portland Sea Dogs’ Marcelo Mayer was a triple shy of the cycle during huge game Wednesday night
Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle on Wednesday night in Double-A Portland’s 7-4 win over Hartford.
Mayer, 21, went 3-for-4, reaching base four times, scoring three runs, and striking out once. With one out in the top of the first inning, Mayer gave the Sea Dogs a quick 1-0 lead, demolishing his second homer over the right center field wall.
In the top of the third, Blaze Jordan singled to left field to bring home Mayer, who reached with a single of his own.
With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Hartford’s starter, Connor Van Scoyoc, left a pitch over the heart of the plate, and Mayer crushed his fifth double of the season by Yard Goats right fielder Yanquiel Fernandez.
Over his final two at-bats of the game, Mayer struck out and walked.
Mayer's huge offensive outburst at the plate comes on the heels of having one hit over his last 15 at-bats. Prior to that stretch, he opened the season with an 11-game hitting streak.
In all, Mayer is 19-for-60 (.317) with a .344 on-base percentage, .500 slugging percentage, .844 OPS, two home runs, five doubles, 11 runs, eight RBIs, three walks, 16 strikeouts, and two steals with a 132 wRC+ in 14 games for Portland.
There were some questions about whether Mayer was healthy coming into the season after suffering a shoulder injury last season. The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft is healthy and focused on both his offensive and defensive approach. “Chase percentage; I’m trying to get my walks up and strikeout less, and range at shortstop,” Mayer said to Beyond the Monster last week at Hadlock Field.
Mayer’s focus on chase percentage is still a work in progress; he’s struck out 25% of the time while only walking 4.7% of his at-bats.
Health is a big factor in Mayer’s development, but this season he looks locked in and on a mission each game. “The goal is to be a big leaguer; that’s what I’m striving for every day,” Mayer said.
