Adam Dunn singles for his first big-league hit. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        MIAMI — Adam Dunn called his major-league debut “pretty much what I expected.” The Reds' performance was equally predictable.

        The offense remained sluggish Friday night despite the arrival of Dunn, the much-heralded slugging prospect fresh from Triple-A Louisville. Dunn started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a fourth-inning single, which was hardly enough as the Reds fell to the Florida Marlins 5-3.

        Cincinnati (35-61) has scored just six runs while losing its last four games. Of course, this futility is nothing new, prompting Dunn's rapid ascent from Single-A to the majors in less than a year.

        The Reds actually looked weakest while scoring a pair of seventh-inning runs. They loaded the bases with nobody out against Marlins starter Matt Clement (6-6) yet scored only because reliever Ricky Bones fielded Aaron Boone's potential inning-ending dribbler and threw the ball into right field.

Todd Walker takes a HR trot in his first game as a Red. | ZOOM |

        Armando Almanza, a left-hander inserted to neutralize Ken Griffey Jr. and Sean Casey, relieved Clement with no outs and the bases loaded and slipped called third strikes past the third and fourth hitters. .

        After hitting .185 (10-for-54) with runners in scoring position on their recent 2-6 homestand, the Reds went 1-for-8 in those situations against the Marlins.

        “We had our shots,” Reds manager Bob Boone said, “and we didn't hit.”

        Interestingly, Florida manager Tony Perez, the ex-Reds hero, denied Dunn his biggest chance to excel.

        After Bones committed his throwing error, Perez ordered the right-hander to walk Dunn intentionally to re-load the bases. Even though Dunn bats left-handed and right-hander Jason LaRue was due up, it was a mildly unorthodox move. Dunn represented the potential go-ahead run with the Reds trailing, 4-2.

        The sight of a rookie hitter being treated with such instant respect was just as novel.

Dunn in LF. | ZOOM |

        Dunn dismissed any significance this event might have had.

        “That has nothing to do with me. That's just baseball right there,” he said, pointing out that righty-versus-righty percentages of the Bones-LaRue matchup. Indeed, Bones coaxed an inning-ending comebacker from LaRue.

        But others regarded Dunn's free pass as yet another reflection of his poten tial.

        “Maybe that's an indication of what we have in front of us,” Reds first-base coach Billy Doran said. “That's a pretty good sign we're not looking at a "B' guy. Tony knows that.”

        Said Marlins slugger Cliff Floyd, who hit one of three first-inning home runs off rookie Jose Acevedo (2-2) to put the Reds in an immediate 4-0 hole, “I'm not surprised. You have to go with your gut feeling. From what I hear, Dunn's a great hitter with some great power.”

Walker forced at second | ZOOM |

        Clement neutralized that power in Dunn's first at-bat, striking him out on three pitches in the second inning. “I don't know if it was nervousness, but I got it out of the way,” Dunn said. Of the curveball he watched for strike three, Dunn said, “You don't see many of those every day.”

        Dunn flashed his skill by pulling his line-drive single to right field in his second at-bat.

        “Once you get that first at-bat out of the way, you're back to playing baseball,” said Dunn, who also flied out to shallow left field in the sixth inning.

        Another Reds newcomer made an instant impression. Second baseman Todd Walker, acquired Thursday with minor-league outfielder Robin Jennings from Colorado for outfielder Alex Ochoa, went 3-for-4 with an eighth-inning homer.

        “It would be fun to keep this team together for a while and start winning,” Walker said.

        “He had professional at-bats,” said Bob Boone, delivering one of his highest forms of praise. “I could really see the difference.”

Marlins 5, Reds 3 SULLIVAN: Dunn gets instant respect Reds trade Tucker to dump salary Rijo's comeback delayed Walker gets leadoff over Dunn Perez ready to manage this time Marlins' Floyd has become star Reds box, runs

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