Robinson, Smith recognized for historic performances

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock Express' infielder Drew Robinson and Nashville Sounds' right-hander Chris Smith have been named the Pacific Coast League Player and Pitcher of the Week for the period of June 5-11, the League office announced Monday. Robinson paced Minor League Baseball in several categories en route to a historic week, while Smith, along with three other Sounds hurlers, threw the seventh combined nine-inning no-hitter in PCL history on June 7.

Robinson hit .467 (14-for-30) over seven games and led affiliated professional baseball with six homers, 14 RBI, 37 total bases, 10 extra-base hits and 12 runs scored. He is only the second PCL player to register 37 or more total bases in a single week since the start of the 2008 season. The other is Reno's Mitch Haniger for the period of July 18-24, 2016 when he also recorded each of 37 total bases, six homers, 10 extra-base hits and 12 runs. Robinson's week also included six walks, a .556 on-base percentage and a Triple-A-best 1.233 slugging percentage.
The Las Vegas native hit a leadoff homer in each of Round Rock's first two games of the week, June 5 and 6 at division-leading Colorado Springs. The second of those games he had his second career multi-homer game, going deep twice, part of a three-hit, three-run game. The following night he hit a grand slam in a win. He reached base four times in the series finale, June 8, helping the Express to a series win. He capped his week with another two-homer game, collecting a season-high four hits and three RBI on June 11 at Oklahoma City.
Robinson has been in the Rangers organization for his entire eight-year career after getting taken by Texas in the fourth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft. He has played with the Express in parts of the last four seasons, batting .271 (191-for-706) with 30 homers and 104 RBI in 189 games. He made his major league debut on April 5, 2017 - the only MLB game he has appeared in. This is the fourth time in his career he has been honored as a Player of the Week and the first as a member of the Express.  

Smith spearheaded the historic performance against the Omaha Storm Chasers with six hitless innings. He retired 18-of-20 hitters faced, only allowing a pair of walks, in his only start of the week. Sean Doolittle, with the Sounds on a rehab assignment, Tucker Healy and Simon Castro each worked a scoreless inning to finish off the 4-0 win. The no-hitter was the 147^th in the 115-year history of the PCL, but only the third involving four pitchers. It was Nashville's first no-hitter since Manny Parra tossed a perfect game on June 25, 2007.
The 36-year-old, Smith, is in his 15^th professional season and second in Oakland's organization. He has made 11 appearances (nine starts) with Nashville this season and is 4-2 with a 2.96 ERA (51.2 IP, 17 ER), the second-lowest mark in the PCL. Smith has appeared in parts of four major league seasons, including last year Oakland, where he had a 2.92 ERA in 24.2 innings - his first MLB appearances since a 2010 stint with Milwaukee. Smith was originally drafted by the Red Sox and has been with five organizations in total, along with two independent teams, in his career. This is his second career Pitcher of the Week award, having previously been honored in August 2015 with El Paso.