Scott Franzke: Mets Have Been 'Magical' Down The Stretch

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Phillies Announcer Scott Franzke previewed next month's Major League Baseball playoffs, intimating he expects big things form the New York Mets and hoping for Phillies Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins make a deep run with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Franzke told Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that he knew the Mets were going to be improved coming into the season, but he was surprised at how fast they've emerged as contenders.

Listen: Scott Franzke on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT

"People understood that they were going to be better with their young pitching and their good starting pitching. They were going to be better. But, a couple of things have happened. They had an eighth inning guy that had to take over as closer and he has been unbelievably good and the other thing is they traded for a guy whose had, probably, the best second half in all of baseball, in Yoenis Cespedes, who's just been outrageous. Sometimes you add one player to the offense and, granted he's good, but he's helped take the pressure off everybody else and they've stepped up their game. This second half for them has been downright magical."

He said it is somewhat bittersweet watching Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins pursue another World Series in Los Angeles, but is pulling for them to end their careers on a high note.

"Those guys did a lot of great things here. For me, it some regards I feel good for them. That they're going to get that opportunity. Not only did they do good things here, they languished, at times, when things weren't going well and they still came out to play everyday and were very professional about it. They're good people and we got to know them over the years and you want them to do well and you want them to have that kind of success."

As for the Phillies, Franzke hopes they can get through the remaining two weeks of the season without surpassing 100 losses.

"You play them out. You see what happens...Nobody wants to do that. That's for sure. It's one of those things, it might be psychological. I don't think it's much different than you lose 99. You know that it hasn't been a good year. But, there is something to be said [when] the numbers are the numbers and they, certainly, stand out a little bit more when you get to triple digits."