"It takes everything you have to beat a true rival. When the stakes are really high, when you have to destroy them and bury them under the goalposts to guarantee victory, it's that much harder to summon that extra level of strength, focus and will, if you think of the guys on the other team as your friends... But when you see them as your enemy, it puts you in a frame of mind to fully defend, by any means necessary, what you are trying to achieve."
The Mets have kind of turned the corner from being that little cousin or little brother or sister to the Yankees. They're on firm standing. They don't have to take a backseat to anybody. And I don't think it's that the Yankees have gone back. I just think the Mets have pushed forward.
Tactically since the beginning till the last ball, I didn't lose the focus, which is great for me, Alcaraz said. Probably one of the best matches I played so far in terms of level, maintain all the level during the whole match.