Michael Conforto stroked an opposite field grand slam against the Dodgers in the seventh inning on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, breaking a 3-3 tie and sending the Mets on their way to a win.
He then proclaimed that Robinson Cano (who offered advice before the at-bat) is his new hitting coach. And did so within earshot of actual hitting coach Chili Davis -- adding that Cano is going to be by his side until he's activated from the IL.
Conforto's "new hitting coach" comment was tongue-in-cheek, but the advice Cano gave him before the slam was very real.
With Conforto about to face left-handed reliever and sinker-baller Scott Alexander, Cano told Conforto to wait for a ball up that he could drive. And Conforto did just that.
"He's going to try to get that thing under your barrel. You have to get it up," Conforto said about what Cano told him.
Conforto then took an elevated pitch and drove it over the left field fence for his 10th homer of the season.
The 26-year-old Conforto, who returned from a concussion three games ago, is hitting .266/.407/.526 and is on pace to finish the season with an even 30 homers, which would be a career-high.