By PATRICK GORDON | Managing Editor
September 5 2015, 7:15 PM EST.
@PGordonPBR
BOSTON - Alec Asher will forever remember his first major league start on the road, but it's certainly not going to be one of the finer moments of his career.
The rookie righthander surrendered seven runs and failed to get out of the third inning in the Phillies' 9-2 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon.
The 23-year-old was one of six players acquired from the Rangers last month in the Cole Hamels deal. He made his major league debut last week, surrendering eight hits and four runs in a loosing effort against San Diego.
Things were worse though on Saturday as he threw 83 pitches, just 47 for strikes. He also committed a pair of balks and lasted just 3 1/3 innings.
"I struggled with command and left balls in the zone," Asher said. "I need to do a better job with my command and throwing strikes."
Xander Bogaerts hit a bases-clearing double to right and eventually scored on the play himself via a throwing error by second baseman Cesar Hernandez, highlighting an eight run fourth inning for Boston.
David Ortiz chipped in with a solo shot in the frame, his 30th homer of the season, to become the first player in franchise history to record nine seasons of at least 30 home runs. The homer also brought him to within four of joining the coveted 500-home run club.
When all the damage was done the Red Sox had sent 11 hitters to the plate in the inning and collected seven hits.
"We just kept things going with good at bats," said Jackie Bradley Jr., who drove in a pair of runs in the fourth via a two-run double. "It's nice to get on runs like that."
Perfect through the first three innings, Wade Miley surrendered a pair of runs in the fourth with Jeff Francoeur and Darnell Sweeney reaching via a single and double respectively, paving the way for Carlos Ruiz to hit a two-run single to center.
Miley settled down and motored through the rest of the contest, tossing a complete game for the first time in 130 career major league starts. He surrendered just the two runs on five hits.
"Every time I go out that's what I try and do [throw a complete game], I've just never been successful before," Miley said with a smile. "I thought [Blake] Swihart did an excellent job of putting together a game plan and we stuck to it. The plan worked early on and we kept with it the entire time."
As for Asher, he's given up 16 hits and 11 runs in 9 1/3 innings over his first two starts. His ERA is 10.61.
"Things will get better," he said. "To be honest, they have to."
The two teams will wrap-up their three-game set on Sunday with Jerad Eickhoff scheduled to take the mound for the Phillies.
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