Jeurys Familia gave up a one-run lead in the ninth, Cincinnati's Jake Fraley hit a broken-bat double and the Oakland Athletics set a major-league record of 28 games to begin a season without a win by the starting pitcher in Saturday's 3-2 loss.
A's starter Kyle Muller tossed five innings and was in line to finally break the notorious streak. But Familia (0-1) walked Henry Ramos, surrendered Kevin Newman’s single, then walked Nick Senzel. Fraley delivered one out later.
Cincinnati's Casey Legumina (1-0) pitched the eighth for the win and Alexis Díaz got his fourth save.
Luke Maile homered leading off the third for the Reds, who have won five straight on the heels of a season-worst six-game losing streak.
The A's starters have gone 0-15 while surpassing the 2022 Pirates for the longest streak to start a season without a win by the starter — it's also a franchise record, too. Washington holds the longest streak ever at 43 consecutive games without a win by the starting pitcher, which was set last year, but not to begin the year.
Ramón Laureano returned from an 11-game absence with a strained left groin and immediately showed off his speed and sensational throwing arm, leading one of Oakland's best defensive days in a so-far dismal season but it was for naught.
With runners on first and second after a pair of singles to start the Reds' second, Laureano chased down a high fly in foul territory by Newman and fired to third for a spectacular double play.
In another defensive move, A's third baseman Jace Peterson turned an unassisted double play on Stuart Fairchild's liner to end the third.
Reliever Richard Lovelady induced José Barrero's inning-ending double play in the seventh with runners on first and second.
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Aledmys Díaz and Jordan Díaz hit consecutive RBI singles in the second for the A's against Reds right-hander and opening day starter Hunter Greene. Facing Oakland for the first time in his career, Greene matched his season high with 10 strikeouts while walking three and allowing two unearned runs on five hits over five innings.
CALLING ALL FANS
Oakland drew an announced crowd of 7,052. That means half of their 14 home games have had attendance under 10,000. It came a day after just 6,423 fans showed up for the Athletics’ first home game since announcing a deal for land to build a ballpark in Las Vegas.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: Díaz singled in the second, stole second and went to third on a single then was lifted for a pinch runner because of a left hamstring injury. Díaz dove for a hard grounder by Tyler Stephenson to start the second and had grabbed at his leg.
LOSING SERIES
Oakland has dropped its initial nine series of the season. The A's fell to to 4-23 in April, already having a franchise record for losses in the month.
UP NEXT
LHP Nick Lodolo (2-1, 6.31 ERA) pitches for Cincinnati in Sunday's series finale. He'll face the A's for the first time in his career opposite fellow southpaw Ken Waldichuk (0-2, 7.82), who is coming off three straight no-decisions after losing his initial two outings of 2023.
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