BOSTON — The Phillies suffered an embarrassing 9-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday.
Rookie right-hander Alec Asher, one of the pickups in the Cole Hamels trade, was ambushed for seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.
The Phillies have lost three in a row and five of their last six as their majors-worst record has slipped to 53-83.
The Phils are 1-5 against Boston this season.
Starting pitching report
In his second big-league start, Asher was tagged for eight hits and seven runs. All the runs came in the fourth inning when the Red Sox sent 11 men to the plate and scored eight times.
Asher balked twice. Hamels was the last Phillie to have two balks in one start, April 20, 2012, in San Diego.
Asher has given up 16 hits and 11 runs in 9 1/3 innings over his first two starts.
Boston lefty Wade Miley was perfect through four innings en route to his 11th win and first complete game of his career. It came in his 130th start. He held the Phils to five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out eight.
Bullpen report
Jerome Williams allowed one run (on a solo homer) in 3 1/3 innings.
At the plate
The Phillies were out-hit 14-5.
Phillies hitters have struck out 19 times in the first two games of the series.
Carlos Ruiz drove in the Phillies’ only two runs with a two-out single up the middle in the fifth.
Ryan Howard did not play against the lefty Miley. Boston is also using a lefty Sunday so Howard will again sit as manager Pete Mackanin goes to right-handed hitting Darin Ruf at first base.
The Red Sox feasted on Asher and Williams in the fourth inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. had a two-run double. Xander Bogaerts had a three-run double against Asher and came around to score on a poor relay throw to the plate by Cesar Hernandez.
David Ortiz capped the inning with a solo homer against Williams. The home was Ortiz’s 30th of the season and 496th of his career. He has nine 30-homer seasons, one more than Ted Williams and a Boston record.
Up next
The Phillies will send their third straight rookie to the mound in Sunday’s series finale when Jerad Eickhoff (1-2, 2.84) opposes lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (8-5, 4.25).