Slumping Conforto delivers in clutch as L.A. rallies

LOS ANGELES -- Michael Conforto was hitless successful his past 15 at-bats erstwhile helium walked to the batter's container successful Thursday's eighth inning with the people tied and his Los Angeles Dodgers looking to divided a four-game bid against the New York Mets. His batting average, 2 months into a $17 cardinal contract, was down to .162. The location assemblage was opening to boo whenever helium made outs.

Then Conforto got the deed helium had been clamoring for -- a two-out, line-drive azygous that gave the shorthanded Dodgers a 6-5, come-from-behind victory.

It was Conforto's archetypal deed with runners successful scoring presumption since March 31.

"It's been a grind up to this point," Conforto said. "All I privation to bash is spell up determination and assistance america win, and successful a batch of those situations I've travel up short. To travel done contiguous was everything."

Landon Knack, forced into the rotation with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki each nursing enarthrosis injuries, enactment the Dodgers successful a 3-0 spread done the archetypal 3 innings, during which helium served up location runs to Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo and a red-hot Pete Alonso.

But the Dodgers came each the mode backmost against Reed Garrett successful the bottommost of the eighth. Mookie Betts drew a leadoff locomotion and scored connected Will Smith's treble down the left-field line. Two batters later, the Mets committed different captious blunder -- 2 nights aft Nimmo got spun astir connected Freddie Freeman's walk-off treble and 2 innings aft Marte got thrown retired by Smith's backmost prime astatine 3rd base.

Andy Pages deed a dilatory roller to 3rd with the interaction play on. Smith instantly darted toward home, came to an abrupt halt assuming he'd get caught successful a rundown, past slid successful with the tying tally aft Brett Baty's propulsion bounced conscionable acold capable beyond Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez. Three batters later, aft the Mets intentionally walked Freeman, Conforto fto a cutter question heavy and produced a 110.8 mph enactment thrust into the left-center-field gap, igniting a Dodger Stadium assemblage that had grown exasperated by his dilatory start.

"Hopefully, we tin accidental this is simply a turning constituent for him," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Conforto, who entered Thursday conscionable 2-for-35 with runners successful scoring position, hopes so, too.

"Those are the types of at-bats to get you going," helium said. "To get that monkey disconnected your backmost with runners successful scoring position, to travel done successful a large spot for the squad -- that's a large infinitesimal for me. I privation to bash a batch much than that."

The Dodgers and Mets faced each different 7 times implicit the people of 13 days, connected the heels of gathering successful past year's National League Championship Series. The Mets claimed 4 victories, but the teams were yet separated by conscionable 7 runs. All but 1 of the games were decided by 3 runs oregon less. Three, including 2 this week, went into other innings.

The Dodgers (38-25) person 15 pitchers connected the injured list, including 3 frontline starters and 5 high-leverage relievers. But the Mets (39-24) aren't whole, either. Two of their astir important starters, Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, are connected the IL. And Juan Soto is lone starting to get going.

"They're arguably a overmuch amended team, and they inactive got guys out, truthful they mightiness beryllium amended than that," Betts said. "I'm definite we're gonna spot them down the road."