By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ken Griffey Jr.'s three-day effort to reach the 500-home run milestone turned the series with the Texas Rangers into a draw like the New York Yankees last season.

Thursday's sellout of 40,383 put the series total at 115,998. That was just more than 10,000 short of what the Reds drew for the Yankees last year.

When the Reds projected attendance for this year, they didn't think they'd get the equivalent draw for the midweek series this year.

Griffey's chase probably pushed the average attendance to 27,896 for 31 days. Last year, it was 28,744 after 31 dates. The walk-up total for the Texas series was 30,976.

"Yes and no," Reds chief operating officer John Allen said when asked if he was surprised by the walk-ups. "Our season-ticket base is down. So you're going to have more people buying day of the game. But the numbers are huge."

The record for walk-ups before this year was 10,189 on May 21, 1994. (Records go back only to 1987). The Reds have surpassed that three times since June 4.

The Reds are only 648 behind their attendance average from last year when they drew 2,355,259.

That's a 52,488 difference over 81 games.

Remember, the Reds started last year with a payroll of $59.4 million. They started this year at $46.6 million.

REHAB CITY: Juan Castro began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville Thursday night. Austin Kearns started his rehab at Louisville Wednesday. Aaron Harang will make a start for the Bats tonight.

Harang will be limited to 75 pitches tonight.

JIMENEZ UPDATE: D'Angelo Jimenez missed his fourth straight game Thursday with a strained oblique muscle.

"He's progressing," trainer Mark Mann said. "He hit off a tee. He hasn't had any residual pain afterward."

WILY MO BETTER: Wily Mo Pena has done well for himself in Kearns' absence. Well enough that he'll get some starts when Kearns returns.

Pena has been the Reds' best hitter against left-handers. He's hitting .429 with three homers and nine RBI in 35 at-bats.

Against right-handers, his numbers fall off considerably. He's hitting .197 with two homers and six RBI in 61 at-bats.

DUNN IN AGAIN: When the Reds returned from Philadelphia Monday, Adam Dunn's luggage did not arrive. The mystery was solved Thursday: It was in his hotel room in Philly.

Dunn left the luggage and tip for the bellman, as he always does on the get-away. There was, as they say, a communication breakdown.

"I want my money back," Dunn said.

DAYTON DRAGONS: A woman was critically injured when she was struck in the head by a foul ball at a Dragons minor-league game, authorities said.

Roxanne Harting, 40, of Centerville, was listed in critical condition in the intensive-care unit at Miami Valley Hospital, said hospital spokeswoman Nancy Thickel.

The Dragons are a Single-A affiliate of the Reds.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.