OAKLAND >> The Oakland A’s have sometimes needed a microscope to find positives through what‘s been an ugly first third of the season.

At least one emerged Saturday, though, as left-handed reliever Hogan Harris gave the A’s a chance to stay within striking distance against the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.

Harris, making his second career major league appearance after he was recalled Saturday morning, allowed one hit and struck out five in five scoreless innings for the A’s in a 6-3 loss to the Astros, Oakland’s 10th straight defeat.

Harris took over for opener Austin Pruitt in the second inning with the A’s down 2-0. After he got Jose Altuve to ground into an inning-ending double play in the second, Harris retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced as the A’s trailed 2-1 going into the seventh.

Harris’ outing stood in stark contrast to his MLB debut with the A’s on April 14 when he was charged with six earned runs in only one-third of an inning against the New York Mets.

Harris was returned to Triple-A Las Vegas the next day but was able to find a comfort zone. Starting with a May 4 appearance for the Aviators, Harris allowed just four earned runs in 19 2/3 innings, walking six and collecting 20 strikeouts along the way.

“Probably the biggest thing for me was just the fact that we were able to kind of find a rhythm again in Vegas,” said Harris, a third-round draft pick by the A’s in 2018. “I came up here the first time, I wasn’t doing too well in Vegas, either. (The A’s) needed somebody and unfortunately, I wasn’t in the best state of mind the last time because I was trying to figure things out, was just kind of all over the place.

“But I was able to find that rhythm, really, and I think that just changed everything.”

Trevor May threw a scoreless seventh inning for the A’s, but the Astros all but put the game away with four runs in the eighth — all charged to right-handed reliever Garrett Acton.

Shea Langeliers hit a two-RBI double in the eighth to draw the A’s within three. But the A’s stranded two others in the eighth, left eight on base in total and went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position for the game.

At 10-44, the A’s are off to their worst start in franchise history and are on pace for just 30 wins. The A’s winning percentage is presently .185, well below the franchise low of .235 for a full season. That happened in 1916 when the Philadelphia A’s went 37-117.

“It’s going to be better because we’re going to get better,” said A’s infielder Aledmys Díaz, who doubled Saturday and is now 10 for 31 since coming off the IL on May 14. “So just control what you can control, play hard and hopefully the wins are going to come.”

PINDER RETIRING >> Chad Pinder, who played 553 games for the A’s over seven seasons, is retiring, the San Francisco Chronicle first reported. Pinder, a 2013 second-round draft pick by the A’s, was playing with Triple-A Gwinnett of the International League after he signed with the Atlanta Braves on May 11.

Pinder signed with Cincinnati as a free agent in February but was released by the Reds on March 24. He signed with Washington on March 27 and played 16 games at Triple-A Rochester but was released on May 5.

With the A’s, Pinder hit .242 with 197 RBI and a .711 OPS.

PLAN FOR MARTINEZ >> Adrián Martínez was optioned back to Triple-A on Saturday to make room for Harris. A’s general manager David Forst said Martínez will be stretched out in Las Vegas as the A’s want to give him a chance to start once again.