Conforto comes through in clutch in Dodgers’ win
by Mark Langill
The only carefree Michael Conforto smile in the Dodger clubhouse on Thursday afternoon was the Spring Training portrait attached to his locker plate.
The hero of the Dodgers’ 6–5 victory over the New York Mets was the bleary-eyed picture of bewilderment, gratitude and relief. Conforto’s RBI single in the eighth inning, which broke a 5–5 tie and capped a three-run rally, also snapped an 0-for-30 drought with runners in scoring position.
The Dodgers finished a “New York, New York” homestand with a 4–3 record against the Mets and Yankees.
“To get the game-winning hit, the guys were certainly cheering for him.” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He’s feeling the love and support. He’s been going through it. And so I think it’s a huge exhale for him. And hopefully we look back and say this is a turning point for him.”
https://medium.com/media/7bafc878b2b0dab2a3147111106ef694/href
Conforto’s last hit with a runner in scoring position was on March 31, a double against the Atlanta Braves.
“It’s been a grind to this point,” said Conforto, who entered the game with a .165 batting average 55 games. “All I want to do is help the team win.”
Conforto said he appreciated the other players trying to keep him smiling in the clubhouse and the dugout.
“He’s a teammate, he wears a Dodger uniform,” said shortstop Mookie Betts of Conforto’s struggles. “When he goes through something, we all feel it.”
The Dodgers, who trailed 4–0 in the third inning, pulled off their 21st comeback victory. Another 6–5 comeback win on Tuesday in 10 innings prevented the Mets from pulling off a four-game sweep.
Right-hander Landon Knack had a chance to build upon his previous two starts, but he labored through 3 1/3 innings on Thursday, allowing four runs on four hits, including three home runs and five walks.
The Dodgers didn’t start first baseman Freddie Freeman and third baseman Max Muncy, opting to load his lineup with right-handed hitters against Mets left-hander David Peterson, who scatted three runs on seven hits in seven innings.
The comeback in the eighth began with a Betts walk against reliever Reed Garrett. Will Smith doubled Betts in.
With Smith eventually on third, a rundown after an Andy Pages ground ball turned into a circus play with Smith scoring.
https://medium.com/media/651995ca079172ab8519b0db14a22f62/href
Freeman entered the game as a pinch-hitter during the eighth-inning rally. He was intentionally walked, setting up Conforto’s single to left on the first pitch from Garrett.
Conforto comes though in clutch was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.