NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS VS DODGERS

October 18, 2024

Starling Marte

Francisco Alvarez

Citi Field

New York Mets

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Mets - 12, Dodgers - 6

Q. Starling, since you've come back from injury, you've been so consistent and right in the middle of everything. What do you feel you're doing particularly well right now?

STARLING MARTE: I think anybody knows that when you're playing with injury, it's a difficult situation. So once you're able to rehab that injury, you're in the training room, you get everything that you need to get right, you come back with a different type of confidence.

I think that's what I've been able to do is just kind of follow up the proper routine, get my work in in the training room and the weight room, in the outfield.

When it comes to hitting, at that point you just have to rely on capitalizing on the mistakes that the pitcher makes. And thankfully that's what I've been able to do in terms of getting the results.

Q. Since Francisco is up here right now, he told us about your talk the other night. What has been the difference you've seen in him since that over the last two games?

STARLING MARTE: I think the biggest difference has been his confidence. He's the type of player that you can say something to and he'll put it into practice.

And I think that's a good thing to take away from when you're having these conversations with young players that they listen to you and that they try to get it right. It may not be the first day. It may not be the second day, but in a couple of days they tend to pick it up.

And it brings a joy to us veterans to be able to have those conversations with young guys because you know they're listening, but they also want to be good and help the team.

Q. Tell us behind the story behind the necklace the fan gave you in the eighth inning and what that moment meant to you.

STARLING MARTE: I think in the seventh or eighth inning, usually in the eighth inning I start to throw the balls to fans because I want the kids to go with a little memory. In the fifth inning a fan was trying to get my attention.

And in the seventh inning or eight inning I ended up throwing the ball and they gave me the necklace. And in my next at-bat I ended up getting a hit there. I kind of just kept looking at him. So I just kept it. But it was a really special moment.

Q. Starling, you're the first man to ever have three doubles in a single playoff game. Just how gratifying is a night like this just given, again, the last couple of years with the injuries, the troubles you've had?

STARLING MARTE: No, it feels good, not only because I had a good game but also because the team won. I'm the type of player, as long as the team wins, I'm in a good mood.

I can go 0-for-5 and it doesn't matter. As long as I'm giving my 100 percent, the team's producing. Yeah, it's definitely exciting. As long as I'm on base I feel like we can have success.