Steve Webb
PHILADELPHIA — In a tightly contested 3–1 win over the Phillies on Saturday night, Michael Conforto provided not just an insurance run, but a spark—and afterward, he made it clear: he’s feeling locked in at the plate.
“I feel great,” Conforto said postgame. “Put a couple good swings on the ball.” One of those swings left the yard in the later innings, giving the Dodgers a much-needed cushion and calming the nerves of fans watching the Phillies try to claw their way back. There was even a second ball that flirted with going out, but the wind was a real factor.
“It was a stiff wind out there tonight,” Conforto said. “I didn’t think the second one was going to make it out.”
Still, it did. And it mattered.
That home run followed a massive defensive moment by Teoscar Hernández, who ended the fifth inning with a double play from left field. That play not only ended a threat but fired up the dugout—and fired up Conforto at the plate.
“I told Teo he fired me up right before that,” he said. “Sometimes you just need a little action like that to give you some energy.”
The Dodgers’ offensive plan was also put to the test against Phillies starter Jordan Montgomery, who has developed into a crafty, unpredictable pitcher. “He switches his looks up… and uses certain pitches in certain situations,” Conforto explained. “If he’s feeling a pitch, he’s going to go to it.” But the Dodgers stayed focused and stuck to the plan, scratching across enough runs to win.
Of course, the big story of the night was Roki Sasaki who rebounded from a shaky first inning to dominate a dangerous Phillies lineup. Conforto, like the rest of us, came away impressed.
“Really, I think the story was Roki,” he said. “Two hits to start and then he just settled in and was nasty the rest of the way.”
This was the first time Sasaki pitched into the fifth inning in a big league game, and he did it in one of the toughest environments around. “It’s not an easy place to play,” Conforto said. “Given the rocky start at Dodger Stadium… I hope he feels good. I sure would if I were him.”
That kind of endorsement from a veteran like Conforto speaks volumes. You can feel the excitement this team has about Sasaki’s potential.
One of the underrated elements of this win was just how tricky the wind made things. In the outfield, Conforto said it was knocking balls down all night. “You saw a couple balls get down in front of some guys,” he said. “Anything close to center field was going to be tough.”
Even with the elements at play, the Dodgers made all the right moves—defensively, on the mound, and with a few timely swings. Conforto’s blast might not have looked like a no-doubter, but it got the job done, and that’s what matters.
As this team continues to gel, especially with new faces like Rōki and Conforto in the mix, wins like this one feel like signs of something bigger building. The pitching’s coming together. The bats are heating up. The defense is making statements.
And on a cold, windy night in Philly, Conforto made sure the Dodgers walked away with one more in the win column.
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