Konnor Pilkington

After another frustrating heartbreaker in extra innings on Tuesday, the Rockies will be back at Coors Field in search of redemption and a win against Cleveland on Wednesday night. The loss dropped the Rockies to 16-17 at home this season, a depressing shift from 2021 when the Rockies had a .593 winnings percentage at Coors Field with a 48-33 record.

Guardians rookie Konnor Pilkington just hadn't been able to get out of the starting gate on a high note. Entering Wednesday's start against the Kansas City Royals, a game the Guardians won 4-0 to complete a three-game sweep, all five of Pilkington's earned runs had come in the first two innings. Whether it be as a starter or a reliever, Pilkington hadn't allowed an earned run from the third inning on.

Konnor Pilkington earned his first major league victory and combined with three other Cleveland pitchers on a seven-hit shutout in

Pilkington was also able to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fourth inning without allowing a run. Pilkington has shown a lot of potential as a starter and getting experience in situations such as these will only help his development and confidence. Pilkington finished with...

CLEVELAND — Rookie Konnor Pilkington struck out eight in five innings for his first major league win and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep. Pilkington, making his third career start and sixth appearance, worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam...

Absolutely dazzling performance on the mound this afternoon by East Central and Mississippi State alum Konnor Pilkington. He struck out eight batters across five scoreless innings en route to his first Major League win with the Cleveland Guardians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bright sunshine met the Guardians on the first day of June on Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field. After a stormy May, which included six postponements because of bad weather, it was a welcomed sight even if the grounds crew had the tarp unrolled awaiting a cloudburst that didn’t come until the final out of the game.

Pilkington (1-0) earned the win Wednesday over the Royals, allowing five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in five shutout innings. Pilkington hadn't shown much through his first two starts with the Guardians, but he turned in a good outing Wednesday. All of the Royals' hits in the contest were singles. Pilkington now has a 2.65 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP and 23:10 K:BB across 17 innings this season. While the walks are a little concerning, he's likely done enough to warrant staying in the rotation for another turn with Aaron Civale (glute) set to undergo a non-surgical procedure. Pilkington lines up for his next start versus the Rangers next week.

Pilkington is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Royals in Cleveland. Despite failing to escape the fourth inning while giving up three earned runs on seven hits and four walks in his second start of the season with the Guardians on Thursday in Detroit, Pilkington will remain in the rotation for at least one more turn while Aaron Civale (glute) is on the 15-day injured list. Even with a home start against a weak Kansas City offense, Pilkington doesn't make for a comfortable streaming option outside of AL-only leagues.

Aaron Civale is hurt but with that comes opportunities for the Cleveland Guardians pitchers. Aaron Civale has had an up and down season, and that’s putting it mildly at best. The starter currently has a 7.84 ERA in seven starts so far this year. He’s given up six runs in a game three times already, and sadly those are 3 of his last five outings. Prior to his start on May 20, Civale had given up 22 runs in four starts. It looked all downhill from there for the fourth-year starter.

Pilkington was recalled from Triple-A Columbus prior to Thursday's start against the Tigers. Pilkington has posted a 2.08 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 8.2 innings over four appearances (one start) in the majors this year, and he'll make his second big-league start Thursday after Aaron Civale (glute) landed on the injured list. Whether Pilkington remains in the rotation during Civale's IL stint likely depends on how well he performs in Thursday's series opener against Detroit.

Pilkington allowed three earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four Thursday against the Tigers. He did not factor into the decision. Pilkington has bounced between Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus for much of the season, but he wasn't sharp Thursday. He struggled with his command and has now walked eight batters across 12 big-league innings. Pilkington avoided a truly disastrous outing only because he managed to keep the ball in the yard. Despite the discouraging effort, Pilkington could take another turn through the rotation while Aaron Civale (thigh) is sidelined, particularly because Cleveland has only one day off in the next two weeks.

Pilkington will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to start Thursday's game against the Tigers, Joe Noga of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The 24-year-old is poised to make his second big-league start of the season after Thursday's originally-scheduled starter, Aaron Civale (glute), was placed on the injured list. Pilkington has given up two earned runs with an 11:4 K:BB over 8.2 major-league innings this season, and a decent showing in Detroit could earn him more opportunities in the rotation.

Pilkington was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Monday. Pilkington made a spot start against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 3.2 innings. He'll continue to be in the mix for callups when the Guardians need an extra starter.

Over the past three decades, four different high schools in Jackson County have combined to win a total of eight state prep baseball championships. However, despite all of that success on the diamond during that span, the county had never produced a player that served as a starting pitcher in a Major League Baseball game.

Pilkington allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out six in 3.2 innings during Sunday's win over the Blue Jays. He didn't factor into the decision. Pilkington's first three MLB appearances came out of the bullpen, but he drew the start Sunday since the Guardians had a doubleheader Saturday. The southpaw required 83 pitches to get through 3.2 innings, but he struck out six against the Blue Jays' potent offense. Pilkington will likely return to the minors or take on a bullpen role following Sunday's start, but he'll be a candidate to serve as a spot starter on other occasions this year.

Pilkington is scheduled to be called up from Triple-A Columbus to start Sunday's game against the Blue Jays. Pilkington earned a spot on the Guardians' Opening Day roster as a reliever, and he tossed five scoreless innings across three appearances between two stints in the majors before he was optioned down to Columbus a second time April 24. He's made two starts at Triple-A since heading to the minors, most recently working three innings and tossing 59 pitches in his May 3 outing. He'll likely be capped at around 70-to-80 pitches Sunday in his first MLB start.

Last season, I started the series – “Behind the Dream” – chronicling Cleveland’s young players journeys to the major leagues. My series not only shows the path the player took to The Show, but it gives fans an insight into names they may not be familiar with.