When Tommy Romero got called into the manager’s office while Clinton (Iowa) was in the midst of a series against the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Kernels, he was thinking that he was about to begin a new chapter in his professional career.

At the time, Romero was off to a strong start and among the Midwest League pitching leaders with a 2.45 ERA in 44 innings.

Romero was about to begin a new chapter, but in a manner that even he admits took him by surprise.

“I thought I was getting promoted to High A maybe,” Romero said. “They asked me if I wanted the good news or the bad news first. I said the bad news. He told me, ‘The bad news is you are not going to be a Lumberking anymore. The good news is you got traded to the Rays.’

“It was out of nowhere. You don’t expect to be traded. It just happened and I feel like it was a crazy moment.”

Romero was traded from the Seattle Mariners organization to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 25 as part of the deal that sent Alex Colome and Denard Span to Seattle. Less than a year after being drafted in the 15th round by the Mariners, Romero was about to start anew.

It’s been a transition that Romero has seemed to make seamlessly. In nine starts since joining the Hot Rods, Romero is 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA to lower his overall ERA to 2.12, second best in the Midwest League.

In his short time with the Hot Rods, Romero has made an immediate impact.

“He’s very knowledgeable about himself and how to pitch,” BG pitching coach Brian Reith said. “We really haven’t had to change too much at all. We’ve been sticking with what worked for him before and get here and improve on a few things, like his secondary pitches.”

Romero admits he wasn’t sure how things would work out in the immediate days following the trade.

Once informed that he had been traded, he had to take an Uber ride back to Clinton to get his stuff before catching a flight and eventually joining his new team in Bowling Green.

“When I was waiting at the airport I was thinking this would be something totally different than what I was used to, but honestly it’s kind of like the same thing I have been doing,” Romero said. “Obviously I had to get used to the new people, new coaches, new teammates. Getting used to that has been the hardest thing.”

He may not have been sure how he would fit in, but he knew he was headed to a team that had a high-powered offense – having seen it firsthand when the Hot Rods roughed him up for four runs and seven hits in two innings of work, his worst outing of the season.

“I knew they could hit for sure,” Romero said. “I was happy to know that I would have some run support.”

When Romero arrived, he said he felt immediately that it was going to be OK.

“They treated me like I’ve been here the whole year,” Romero said. “We have a great group of guys, a great coaching staff. I feel lucky to have the coaching staff I have now.

“Meeting all the guys and knowing they want to win every day, it’s a good feeling to be in a system where everyone is trying to win every game every single day.”

Perhaps the biggest moment that made him feel at home was when he wasn’t originally selected for the Midwest League All-Star Game, prompting BG manager Craig Albernaz to openly campaign with the league office to get Romero a spot on the team.

Romero was eventually added to the team and got to pitch in the game.

“I won’t say I was disappointed, but it was the same league so I was wondering,” Romero said. “I feel like maybe they didn’t notice how I was pitching. To have Alby contact them and let them know, it meant a lot. I’m happy I got to play in the game.”

Albernaz said it was easy to go to bat for a guy that has made an immediate impact on and off the field since coming to Bowling Green.

“Tommy fits right in with these guys,” Albernaz said. “He’s a quiet kid who loves to compete. He doesn’t shy away from the big moments. It’s been an easy transition for him. He’s a great kid who works hard.”

Romero said the biggest adjustment has been going from a five-man rotation in Clinton to a six-man rotation in Bowling Green, but other than that it’s been pretty much the same.

“I just wanted to keep on going from how I started,” Romero said. “I wanted to come here and show what I could do.”

While Romero continues to adjust to his new team, he said he still talks to his former teammates a little bit. He added he hopes to see them again this season. Since the two teams have already played this year, the only way that can happen now is if both teams play for the Midwest League championship – a scenario Romero admits he would love to become a reality.

“I’d like to pitch against them, but knowing they were my teammates for almost a year, it would be a weird feeling,” Romero said.

Bowling Green’s Bats down Wisconsin

The Bowling Green Hot Rods pounded out 14 hits in a 10-5 win Sunday against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton, Wis.

Four Hot Rods – Vidal Brujan, Taylor Walls, Moises Gomez and Zach Rutherford – finished with two hits each. Gomez and Walls drove in two runs each, while Brujan and Emilio Gustave scored three runs each for Bowling Green (66-33 overall, 19-11 second half)

Kyle Goodbrand allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the season.

The series, and road trip, concludes at 12:05 p.m. Monday.

Right-hander Carlos Herrera (1-6, 5.31) is scheduled to start for the Timber Rattlers. The Hot Rods’ starter has yet to be announced.