Winless A’s off to their worst start in 25 years

Astros pummel Oakland to leave A’s starting 0-3 for first time since 1996

OAKLAND >> The Oakland A’s are still searching for their first win of the 2021 season. They didn’t come much closer to one in Saturday’s 9-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon.

They’re now 0-3 to start a season for the first time since the 1996 season, when the team began the season at Cashman Field in Las Vegas while Mt. Davis was being built at the Coliseum upon the Raiders’ Oakland return.

They have scored a total of seven runs through the first three games and allowed 26.

“We lost three games,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s been ugly. We haven’t played well

yet.”

The trouble stems primarily from a stale offense. Despite a small surge on Friday that produced five runs on the back of some manufactured runs and a Chad Pinder two-run home run, the A’s took a step back at the plate against Lance McCullers Jr. and an already thin Astros bullpen.

“We made him work, without a doubt, made him throw some pitches but couldn’t get the big hit,” Melvin said.

The A’s finished the game with 11 strikeouts and just three hits. Matt Olson had two of those hits. They went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Though peeved, they’re not overly concerned about the sluggish start with 159 games to go. Olson threw the kitchen sink of clichés to express the team’s lack of concern over the slow start at the plate.

“We’ll be fine,” Olson said. “A couple big situations we haven’t had the big hit. It’s fine, it’s game three, we have 159 more. Baseball

happens sometimes. I don’t think we’re hitting the panic button over here.

Need a couple knocks, balls to find the holes and get some runs across.”

The Astros, who used most of their bullpen in the first two games, rode reliever Ryne Stanek through two no-hit innings; he struck out the side in the sixth and tossed a threepitch seventh inning.

That’s not the offensive production this A’s team is capable of, but indicative of the slow starts they’ve made a habit of over the last few seasons with this particular core of players. This may be the A’s first 0-3 start in 25 years, but they’ve gone 1-2 in eight of their last 10 seasons.

Saturday, they scored one run on Mitch Moreland’s RBI single in the first inning, scoring Mark Canha from second base.

PHOTOS BY JEFF CHIU — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick, bottom, scores under Oakland Athletics pitcher Reymin Guduan (61) during the ninth inning Saturday in Oakland. At right is the Astros’ Kyle Tucker.

The Oakland Athletics’ Mitch Moreland (18) hits an RBI single in front of Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado during the first inning Saturday in Oakland.

JEFF CHIU — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Oakland Athletics second baseman Tony Kemp throws out the Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa at first base during the third inning Saturday in Oakland.