Renato Nuñez, Paul Blackburn, and Chris Smith Named Pacific Coast League All-Stars

Three Players Join Pitching Coach Rick Rodriguez on PCL Squad

June 28, 2017

Nashville Sounds infielder Renato Nuñez and right-handed pitchers Paul Blackburn and Chris Smith have been named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team as announced by the league today.
The 2017 Triple-A All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday, July 12 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The Pacific Coast League All-Stars take on the International League All-Stars at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington. The game will be carried live on ALT 97.5 FM and televised on MLB Network.
Nuñez, 23, is leading the Pacific Coast League with 20 home runs and is tied for third with 37 extra-base hits. He's hitting .252 (67-for-266) with 44 RBI, 39 runs scored and 17 doubles. He leads the Sounds with 11 multi-RBI games and is second on the team with 18 multi-hit games.
It's the second career All-Star Game appearance for the Venezuelan native who was named a Midwest League mid-season All-Star in 2013. In 2014 and 2015, Nuñez was selected to play for the World Team in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Blackburn, 23, is second in the Pacific Coast League with a 3.05 ERA and is tied for third with a 1.19 WHIP. In addition to ERA and WHIP, Blackburn leads the Sounds in games started (14), quality starts (6), wins (5), and innings pitched (79.2).
The All-Star Game nod is the third of Blackburn's career. The California native was named a 2016 Southern League All-Star and 2014 Midwest League All-Star.
Smith, 36, is fourth in the Pacific Coast League with a 3.18 ERA and is seventh with a 1.29 WHIP. He leads the Sounds in strikeouts (58) and is second in innings pitched (68.0). It's the second time Smith has been recognized by the PCL this year as he won Pitcher of the Week for his efforts from June 5-11^th.
It's the second time in the veteran right-hander's career being named a mid-season All-Star. Smith was named a 2006 Eastern League mid-season All-Star.
The three Sounds join pitching coach Rick Rodriguez who was previously named as the pitching coach for the Pacific Coast League All-Stars. Under his guidance, Nashville's pitching staff leads the PCL with a team ERA of 3.54.
The complete Pacific Coast League All-Star Game roster is attached. The International League All-Stars can be found at www.milb.com.
The 2017 season is the Sounds' 40^th in franchise history and their third as the Oakland Athletics' top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.
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