How household chores led to Conforto's red-hot series vs. Pirates
How household chores led to Conforto's red-hot series vs. Pirates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With the game tied 3-3 through nine innings in the Giants' series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday at PNC Park, San Francisco needed to capitalize on its opportunity to take a commanding lead in the top of the 10th.
Joc Pederson pushed the Giants ahead by one run with a sacrifice fly -- then Michael Conforto provided the insurance the team had been looking for all day at the plate. The outfielder's two-run double put the game out of reach for Pittsburgh, all but securing the eventual 8-4 win and three-game sweep to start San Francisco's second half.
Conforto was firing on all cylinders not only in the Giants' fifth straight win, but also throughout the series as a whole, going 5 for 12 with five RBI and another big hit in San Francisco's win Saturday. So, what's clicking for Conforto?
"Maybe just a little mental break, a little physical break over All-Star break, and getting home and just getting off my feet, getting my mind off the game," Conforto told NBC Sports' Ahmed Fareed and Dan Plesac after the win. "The swing feels good right now. I think we're doing a lot of good things as a team. Pitching's been tight, defense has been really good and just kind of getting those timely hits.
"That's the name of the game."
Conforto certainly has the last of those items on lock, and he credits his latest hot streak to returning to a sense of normalcy at home in Arizona during the break.
"I got in the pool a little bit, just kind of tidied up the house. It was a mess outside -- you know, bird poop everywhere, weeds," Conforto laughed. "That was a little stressful, but it was good to be off my feet, check in at home, hang out with my wife [and] just get your mind off of baseball a little bit."
The Giants signed Conforto to a two-year contract in free agency this past offseason, expecting the 30-year-old to play a major role in the offense after missing the 2022 MLB season due to shoulder surgery. After a slow start to the year and some injury hiccups, Conforto said he's feeling comfortable again.
"The first month and a half was a grind getting back into it," Conforto said. "Taking a year off is definitely going to do that to you. These are the best players in the world. Trying to jump back in is tough, so it just took me a while to get going and now I'm feeling pretty good."
"Feeling more like myself, and hopefully we can keep it going."
Conforto is looking more and more like the player who was an All-Star with the New York Mets in 2017, or who put up 33 home runs and 92 RBI for them in 2019. Across the Giants' current five-game winning streak, Conforto is hitting .450 with nine hits, a home run, seven RBI and two runs scored.
And as the Giants make a second-half playoff push, Conforto's production at the plate will play a pivotal role in their success.
"Feeling more like myself," Conforto said, "and hopefully we can keep it going."
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