The Oakland Athletics have been restocking their farm system for about a year now, but corner infielder Renato Nunez has been a potential building block for the team since he signed with the A’s in July of 2010 at the age of 16. On Saturday night, Oakland’s Double-A affiliate Midland RockHounds produced 21 runs against the Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers), and did so with some serious crooked numbers. Scoring in just three of the game’s nine innings, Midland put up 4 in the third, 6 in the seventh, and an 11-spot in the top half of the ninth en route to a 21-4 victory.
Nunez was at the forefront of that explosive ninth inning, after two singles, a double and a walk forced a pitching change, Anthony Aliotti singled to load the bases. As you may have guessed, Nunez took the offering from Jefri Hernandez over the fence in left for a grand slam, his 17th home run of the season. Nunez would come up later in the inning and single home another run.
The 21-year-old Venezuelan finished the night 5-for-7 with 6 RBI and two runs scored. The homer ties Nunez for third in the Texas League at 17, joining Corpus Christi’s (Astros) Teoscar Hernandez and the Naturals’ Jorge Bonifacio (Royals), while sitting one behind Jon Kemmer (Hooks again) and four back of league leader Drew Robinson of Frisco. Teammate Matt Olson, last season’s California League home run king with 37, is right behind with 16 this season.
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Not to be forgotten, Josh Whitaker went 4-for-6 on the night with 5 RBI and a home run of his own while scoring three times.
Nunez is Oakland’s #6 prospect, and is full of power. The area of his game that could use some work is his defense, so Midland has been playing him at first on occasion, totaling 16 games at the position this season. Olson is the team’s #2 prospect and he’s been deemed Oakland’s first baseman of the future, but he’s been splitting time between first and right field this season, potentially clearing up a spot for Nunez.
With #5 prospect third baseman Matt Chapman in Stockton (High-A) and set to take part in the Arizona Fall League, and #1 prospect in shortstop Franklin Barreto also in Stockton (yet currently injured) the A’s have the makings of a solid infield core, with Chapman being the oldest among the group at 22 after being drafted out of college last season.
As for the RockHounds, they are 46-22 (.676) in the second half of the season and have a date with the Corpus Christi Hooks, who started the season 48-22 in the first half, but have cooled off a little since the all-star break, going 39-29. The first two games of the series will be played on the road for the RockHounds, with the last three scheduled at home, if necessary. The two teams have been evenly matched in the second half, with Midland holding a slight edge in the series at 9-7.
The Oakland Athletics may not be winning a title this season, but the Hounds have a good shot at claiming the Texas League championship for the second year in a row if they can just get past A.J. Reed and the Hooks next week.