HARTFORD, Conn. — The night didn’t start at all like Konner Eaton had hoped.

With his Hartford Yard Goats coming off a road trip to Binghamton, where they had won five of six games against the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets, Eaton hoped to start a homestand back in Hartford strong on Tuesday.

However, Portland, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, scored four times in the first inning to make a mark against Eaton and put the Yard Goats in a quick hole.

Had this been 2025, Eaton said he would have handled the results of that start differently. However, the Rockies’ 26th-ranked prospect said on Wednesday it’s a new year and a new way of looking at the challenges that come with pitching in the Eastern League.

“I think I’m handling my starts a lot better,” Eaton said as he stood outside the home dugout at Dunkin’ Park in downtown Hartford. “I feel like I’m in a better mental state than I was last year. It’s really trying to become more of a professional each and every day.…