Michael Conforto’s brutal skid with runners in scoring position finally ended at just the right moment for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The veteran outfielder had gone a horrific 0-for-30 in those high-leverage spots since two early-season hits, but he snapped the drought in dramatic fashion Thursday night. With the game tied in the eighth and a runner on second, Conforto delivered a go-ahead opposite-field RBI single—his first such hit since March 31—capping a frenetic rally that gave the Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Mets at Dodger Stadium.
The late surge salvaged a series split and closed out a 4-3 homestand for the Dodgers, who now lead all of baseball with 21 comeback wins this season.
Dodgers’ Resilience On Full Display Vs. Mets
The eighth inning began with Los Angeles trailing 5-3. Mookie Betts coaxed a leadoff walk from Mets reliever Reed Garrett, then scored when Will Smith ripped an RBI double to left. Smith advanced to third on a flyout from Teoscar Hernández, setting the stage for a bizarre sequence that tied the game.
Andy Pages hit a slow roller to third that looked like it would keep the Dodgers off the board. Brett Baty fielded cleanly, but his off-line throw to the plate left catcher Francisco Álvarez scrambling. Garrett, trying to cover the plate, collided with Álvarez as both fumbled for the ball. Smith alertly slid home, knotting the score at 5-5 and opening the door for Conforto’s long-awaited breakthrough.
It was a much-needed offensive response to an uneven night on the mound. Rookie right-hander Landon Knack allowed a career-high-tying three home runs and walked five in just 3.1 innings of work. After dodging trouble in the first, Knack surrendered a solo shot to Pete Alonso in the second—Alonso’s third homer in less than 24 hours and his 10th in 22 career games at Dodger Stadium. Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte added back-to-back homers in the third, followed by a sacrifice fly from Baty to push the Mets ahead 4-0.
The Dodgers clawed back in the bottom of the third behind a Miguel Rojas walk, a Shohei Ohtani single, and a series of productive swings. Mookie Betts drove in a run with a double, Smith followed with an RBI single, and Hernández plated another with a groundout.
But from there, missed opportunities threatened to sink the comeback. The Dodgers hit into inning-ending double plays in both the fourth and sixth, and stranded multiple runners in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Mets starter David Peterson was sharp once again, striking out six over seven innings. It was another strong showing after Peterson held the Dodgers to two runs over 7.2 innings last month in New York.
Still, the game turned late, and Conforto’s clutch hit ultimately stood as the game-winner. The Mets’ own late push—featuring a go-ahead RBI single from Alonso in the top of the eighth—proved short-lived.
Tanner Scott closed the door in the ninth, earning his 11th save of the season and sealing a gritty win for a Dodgers team that, despite inconsistencies, continues to find ways to win late.