Last week questions for the Phillies

Cole Hamels has been tremendous for the Phillies this season and still has a chance to win double-digit games.
Credit: Getty Images

The Phillies are akin to a soap opera. There are more questions than answers, especially as this forgettable season winds down.

Is Jerome Williams for real?

After bombing out with the pitching starved Rangers and Astros, Williams, who is 4-2 with a 2.45 ERA after shutting out the A’s Saturday, has been very good during his run in red pinstripes.Is the sample set too small for the Phillies? Is Williams having a solid run since he has primarily faced teams that have never see him?

“I’m just trying to be positive,” Williams said. “My approach is different since I’ve come to the Phillies and I really like being here. Who knows what will happen to me next year? Maybe I’ll have an opportunity to be back here next season. We’ll see”

And what about Freddy Galvis, Darin Ruf?

During the first half of the season, Galvis wasn’t hitting a supermodel’s weight. However, he’s hit .289 over the last dozen games since he has filled in for Jimmy Rollins.

“Galvis has a great glove but I don’t believe in his bat,” a NL scout said. “He’s still young but I don’t know if he’ll develop an offensive game. He has some pop for a little guy but he is so inconsistent. I question whether he’ll ever be more than a role player.”

One of the great second half mysteries is why the Phillies haven’t played Darin Ruf more since he emerged from the disabled list. The Phillies have certainly seen enough of Domonic Brown and the franchise must have an idea what Grady Sizemore can do. Ruf is finally getting some playing time and he has produced but wouldn’t it have been a great idea to widen the sample size and play him regularly since August 1?

“I’m just glad to have any opportunity to go out there and play,” Ruf said. “Whenever they put me in the lineup, I’ll just go out and do my best. I can’t do any more than that.”

Will A.J. Burnett lose 20 games?

No, the tattooed hurler, who helped the Yankees beat the Phillies in the 2009 World Series, won’t have enough starts to reach that tragic number but it’s a reminder of how bad this season has been.

Will a Phillies starter win double digit games?

Yes. Cole Hamels, run support willing, will win one of his last two starts to at least finish with ten wins. How crazy is that since this is arguably Hamels finest season and he is struggling to win ten?

Will the Phillies win more than its total of 73 games, which was the 2013 mark?

The Phillies should be able to accomplish that but it doesn’t mean the team has improved an iota over last year’s model.

The remainder of the Phillies season is hardly compelling but the questions will be much more interesting after Ryne Sandberg’s team plays its final game of the 2014 season Sunday.