"Edinson Volquez usually looks on the bright side, but the Reds pitcher admitted to a growing concern Sunday after yet another first-inning meltdown.

Volquez put the Reds in a 4-0 hole in the first inning when, shades of Opening Day, he allowed homers to the first two Pittsburgh batters (Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata).

The Reds rallied for a 5-4 lead by the fifth inning as Volquez settled down but eventually lost 7-6. Drew Stubbs flied out to center – with the bases loaded – to end the game.

The always congenial Volquez smiled through much of his postgame interview, but admitted he must find a way to navigate the first inning. He now has a 29.25 ERA in the first inning and 1.93 thereafter, in four starts.

"I worry a little bit because I don't want that to happen," Volquez said.

The secret?

"I have to throw strikes, get ahead in the count. I'll be better next time."

A crowd of 32,105 was still arriving at Great American Ball Park when Pittsburgh began battering Volquez.

"We're trying to figure out why," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Volquez's early struggles. "If we had the answer right now, it wouldn't happen again. We just have to get to the bottom of it, try different warm-up techniques and different things."

Volquez said he threw more warm-up pitches Sunday in his attempt to get loose.

His start already had been pushed back one day because of a stiff neck, and he said the ailment was on his mind.

"I was afraid, in the first inning, to throw the fastball," Volquez said. "After that I was OK."

Volquez allowed two more runs and pitched into the sixth inning, but was pulled after throwing 110 pitches.

Jonny Gomes cut the Reds' deficit to 4-1 with a home run in the second inning.

Paul Janish singled home a run in the fourth to get the Reds to within 4-2. Miguel Cairo's first homer of the year, to right center, cut the deficit to 4-3 in the fifth inning."