The next in the line of Phillies rookie starters to make his major-league debut took the mound Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. It was Alec Asher's turn, as it had been Jerad Eickhoff's nine days earlier, Aaron Nola's in July, and Adam Morgan's in June.
Asher, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound righthander from Lakeland, Fla., did not fare as well as his rookie rotation mates had in the Phillies' 9-4 loss to the San Diego Padres. Asher, whom the Phillies acquired from the Texas Rangers in last month's Cole Hamels blockbuster, allowed four runs - three on home runs - over 52/3 innings before the bullpen surrendered five more.