BALTIMORE — Eugenio Velez has company.
Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis went 0-for-2 in his first two plate appearances against the Oakland Athletics on Monday night, extending his hitless streak to 46 consecutive at-bats. In doing so, he tied Velez for the longest hitless streak by a position player in major league history, according to data from the Elias Sports Bureau.
Velez went 0-for-46 spanning the 2010 and 2011 seasons, starting in September 2010.
Facing Oakland starter Marco Estrada to lead off the top of the second inning, Davis hit a 92 mph liner that A’s right fielder Stephen Piscotty caught. In his second at-bat, with two on and one out in the third, Davis hit a 91 mph liner to left that Robbie Grossman gloved.
In stark contrast to the heavy boos he received during the Orioles’ home opener on Thursday, Davis got a warm reception from the tiny Monday night crowd at Camden Yards, which greeted him with ovations in each of his first two trips to the plate.
The Baltimore first baseman hasn’t recorded a hit since doubling against White Sox hurler James Shields on Sept. 14 of last year. He went hitless over his final 21 at-bats of the 2018 campaign, then started this season by going 0-for-23 with 13 strikeouts over the Orioles’ first nine games, prior to Monday.
Davis led the majors with 53 home runs in 2013, when he finished third in the voting for American League MVP. In 2015, he led the league again with 47 homers. Following that season, Davis signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the Orioles. Since then, he has been a huge disappointment. He set an MLB record last season by hitting .168, the lowest average ever by a qualified hitter.
Velez, a former utility man, started his streak by going hitless in his final nine at-bats for the San Francisco Giants during the 2010 season. In 2011, his final year in the majors, he had 37 at-bats with the Dodgers and failed to record a hit.