The Wilmington Blue Rocks gave their fans at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium something to cheer about on Friday, July. 26, 2024. They defeated the Hudson Valley Renegades with a final score of 5-2 to take a 3-1 series lead.

The driving force behind the victory was starter Jose Atencio, as the 22-year-old pitched seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just four hits and striking out three batters.

Despite Atencio allowing his only run in the top of the first, the Rocks’ offense certainly played a role in helping him settle in from that point forward, as they scored three runs in the bottom half of the frame, with two courtesy of an absolute no-doubter off the bat of Maxwell Romero Jr.

“My mindset is just [that] you’ve got to attack these guys,” Atencio said. “Everything was going the right way, so I just thank the guys for making me feel comfortable on the mound. But I’m the same guy every pitch.”

“Just keeping it simple,” Romero Jr. said. “Being able to bring in that guy from second, I was just glad to be able to put it in the air hard enough to get us two runs right there.”

Once Atencio hit the mound for the start of the second inning, he was virtually untouchable for the remainder of the game, allowing just one more hit throughout the next six innings, which caught the eye of both Romero Jr. behind the plate and manager Mario Lisson from the dugout.

“Big league stuff, man,” Romero Jr. said. “Honestly, that kid just knows what he wants to throw. When you have a five-pitch mix like he does and you’re able to control all five, it’s really hard to not be in the game for seven innings. I’m just really impressed with how he holds himself and the type of kid he is.”

“It’s high, man,” Lisson said about his confidence level in Atencio. “He’s always giving us a chance. One or two starts he was a little shaky, but other than that he’s done a good job and he’s given us length. Today, he was very good.”

Atencio and Romero Jr. are both early candidates for second-half MVP for Wilmington, as they’ve both shaken off some struggles they were experiencing midway through the 2024 campaign. In five starts over the last month, Atencio has allowed five earned runs, which has improved his ERA to 3.33 compared to the 5.00 mark he was sporting at the beginning of this stretch. Romero Jr. has snapped a 0-19 rut at the plate by recording a hit in nine of his last 11 games and has recorded multiple RBIs in three consecutive games.

“The mound work I’ve been doing with coach [Mark] DiFelice, he’s been helping me a lot,” Atencio said. “My delivery wasn’t consistent, but I’m finding myself right now.”

“I just have to thank God for the opportunity to allow me to just keep doing me,” Romero Jr. said. “It’s a good group of guys, our hitting is contagious right now. As a group, we’re doing a great job of just doing our thing and being simple.”

The offense has been doing enough to propel the Rocks to victory, as well, and Lisson has taken notice.

“Quality at-bats. Staying in the zone and being aggressive with our pitches,” Lisson said. “We’ve been better at that in the second half, overall. If we continue to do that, we’ll put ourselves in a better position to succeed, and you’ll see those kinds of results.”

Overall, the Blue Rocks have been playing great baseball over the last three weeks, winning nine of their last 13 games. With just over a month remaining in the regular season, Wilmington is starting to creep back into the playoff picture, and everyone in the clubhouse is ready for the challenges that await.

“It’s the same vibes, simple,” Romero Jr. said. “We’re just loving one another, just having fun and enjoying each other, and at the same time just keeping it simple. Just playing the game for what it is.”

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