Dodgers Interview: Conforto on Ending Brutal Slump with Clutch Hit
“I just try to focus on what I can control."
LOS ANGELES — After weeks of frustration and mounting pressure, Michael Conforto finally had his moment—and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
With the Dodgers and Mets tied 5–5 in the bottom of the eighth on Thursday, Conforto stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. The Mets had just intentionally walked Freddie Freeman to get to him. The narrative was teed up: Conforto, 0-for-his-last-30 with runners in scoring position, facing his former team in a game where the Dodgers had already come from behind twice.
And then he delivered.
Conforto drove a pitch up and away into left field, bringing in the winning run and setting off a celebration at Dodger Stadium. The 6–5 walk-off win snapped the Dodgers’ recent skid and gave their embattled outfielder a shot of redemption.
“All I want to do is go up there and help us win,” Conforto said after the game. “In a lot of those situations, I’ve come up short. To come through today—it was everything.”
Conforto admitted he had a pretty good idea he’d be the one coming up when the Mets walked Freeman. “As soon as first base was open and Freddy was on deck, you figure he’s getting walked,” he said. “I just tried to stay focused, think about where I wanted to see the ball, and I got the pitch I wanted—up and out over the plate.”
It was the kind of swing that players dream of when they’re stuck in a rut—a clean, opposite-field liner that broke a brutal streak and may have unlocked something deeper. “Those are the types of at-bats that’ll get you going,” he said. “To get that monkey off your back with a runner in scoring position and come through in a big spot for the team… that’s a big moment for me.”
Teammates rallied around Conforto all night, with Shohei Ohtani among the first to congratulate him after the walk-off. “These guys have been awesome,” Conforto said. “You spend more time with them than your actual family, and they’ve been nothing but positive—trying to keep me smiling, keep me laughing.”
Asked if there was any extra satisfaction that the hit came against the Mets, Conforto downplayed the revenge angle. “It’s less about who it’s against,” he said, “and more about coming through in a back-and-forth game against a really good team.”
The veteran outfielder admitted that the recent slump had tested him. “There’s been a lot of good swings that just haven’t had results. That’s frustrating—it’s part of the game—but there comes a time when you’ve got to start performing.”
Conforto said he’s tried to block out thoughts about his place on the roster. “I just try to focus on what I can control,” he said. “Come to work, do my best to right the ship, and be a good teammate.”
As for whether this hit could be a turning point?
“I guess time will tell,” he said. “I’m going to show up tomorrow and do all the things I did today, and try to be the best version of myself.”
For at least one night, Michael Conforto was exactly what the Dodgers needed.
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