NL DIVISION SERIES: METS v DIAMONDBACKS

October 5, 1999

Edgardo Alfonzo

EDGARDO ALFONZO: One in AA, the playoff, I helped the team win, usually like two home runs in the playoffs, and that was back in AA. So that's a good name, a good nickname.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: You know, after Rickey hit the ball and Matt Williams make that nice catch, that nice play at home plate, still bases loaded, and I just waiting for my -- show a little patience at home plate. And you get behind in the count, he just start throwing fastballs. He didn't want to walk me. Just throwing me fastballs to see what happens.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: That was the question. I know I hit it good, but it might be a foul ball and I just wait to see if the ball stayed fair. So if the ball were not fair --.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: Well, I think Randy, you know, is one of the tough pitchers we face, especially myself, that I face, in the major leagues right now. You have to get him early. You get in the count, and he throws a nasty slider, and you have to be prepared for that. But even prepared for that, you still don't hit it; it comes hard. That's why you have to attack early.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: Well, anywhere when you are -- when you are in the playoffs and you win the first game, it's very important. Make a little push to the team; make a little -- you know, the way we had to play right now, we're playing pretty good the last couple of games. And to win this game tonight is very exciting. Maybe everybody push tomorrow. Tomorrow is another game, and get that feeling tomorrow. It's great to win the first one.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: Well, try to have a little patience at the home plate, until I see a good pitch to hit and be on time with my legs, with my leg kick, be on time. I think that's a big thing for me right now. Every time I go to home plate, I have an idea of what I'm going to do.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: When you lose six games in a row, it's a little hard, a little bit of frustration for us. I don't think we give up already, and we still have a long way to go, and definitely, we keep our faith. So now, it's kind of like great feeling because we've been playing great the last couple games. And when we play together it's going to be fun to watch and see all the guys there. They want to play hard and they want to do a tremendous job. Now I think it's a big relief for us to win the first game for us and to keep playing the same way we are right now.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: Told me how to face Randy Johnson tonight, how important it was in the game for us tonight, how do I feel when I hit the Grand Slam. I tell him, to face Randy Johnson, one of the toughest pitchers in the major leagues right now. The first at-bat I had tonight, I hit a home run; it's a great feeling. When he throw me the last guy -- when the bases loaded and he throw me a 3-1 fastball, I connected with the ball very good, and wait to see fair or foul and that was a great feeling around the bases.

EDGARDO ALFONZO: We don't want to face Randy no more this year. But anything can happen in this game. And Randy, like I say, I have a lot of respect for Randy, and he's one of the best pitchers right now. If he gets an opportunity to pitch the 5th game, he will do it. We just do it and we be prepared for it.

End of FastScripts….