By John Fay and Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Thursday's game

It won't go down as one of Adam Dunn's better games, but it was a step in the right direction.

Dunn got his first hit of the season Thursday - a single up the middle - and went 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch in the Reds' 7-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"His approaches were better all day," Reds manager Bob Boone said. "I was really pleased with his at-bat against (Scott) Sauerbeck."

Sauerbeck, a lefty specialist from Northwest High and Miami University, struck out Dunn on three pitches Wednesday night.

Thursday in the ninth, Dunn was able to get the count to 2-2 and foul two pitches before flying out.

"He left me one pitch to hit," Dunn said. "You've got to hit it."

Late in spring training, Dunn slipped back into the funk he was mired in during the second half of last season. He had one hit in his last 14 exhibition at-bats.

He was 0-for-8 with three strikes and one hard-hit ball in the Reds' first two regular-season games.

"I'm trying to focus and stay up the middle," Dunn said.

Dunn, a 23-year-old left fielder, had it going early in spring. His power numbers - five home runs, 16 RBI in 24 games - were respectable.

That had the Reds convinced he was returning to 2002 pre-All-Star Game form, when he hit .300 with 17 homers and 54 RBI.

But the last few weeks, he has looked more like the guy who hit .190 with nine home runs and 17 RBI after the All-Star Game.

MR. MANICURE: To offset the effects of a painful blister that sometimes develops on his right index finger, Reds starter Danny Graves plans to visit a manicurist for an unconventional cure.

"I've done it many times," said Graves, who makes his first regular-season start today, against the Cubs. "I'm in touch with my feminine side."

All kidding aside, Graves wants to have two fake fingernails applied to his right index and middle fingers for preventative purposes.

"If I have (my nails) too short, throwing two-seamers off the laces, it causes the blister to come up," Graves said. "If I have them too long, then my nails crack.

"So I've got to find a happy medium. With a fake nail, it's thick and hard, so you're safe either way."

ATTENDANCE NOTE: The Reds drew 91,317 for the three-game series to open Great American Ball Park. For the opening series at Cinergy Field last year, they drew 78,106.

That's an increase of 13,211. Almost all the increase was over the second and third dates; Opening Day numbers were virtually the same.

An increase of 6,605 in the average attendance over the entire season would put the Reds' average at 29,802. That figures out to 2.4 million for the year, which wouldn't even be among the top five attendance totals in team history.

GUILLEN REPORTS: Jose Guillen, an outfielder who failed to make the Reds out of spring training, has reported to Triple-A Louisville.

Guillen, 26, did not report immediately after being re-assigned to the minor-league camp. He hit .248 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 31 games with the Reds last year.

CD AVAILABLE: The Blessid Union of Souls CD with the song "Play Ball" will be available to Great American Ball Park gift shops beginning today.

"Play Ball" is a tribute to Reds history. The song and the accompanying video are being played during games at the ballpark.

FIRST TRIPLE: Rob Mackowiak chalked up a Great American Ball Park first by tripling in the fifth inning of Thursday's game.