David Kohl, Associated Press The Reds' Jeff Conine, center, is congratulated by teammates Alex Gonzalez and Ken Griffey Jr. after hitting a three-run home run off Pirates starter Paul Maholm in the third inning last night in Cincinnati. Click photo for larger image. Looking ahead Opponent: Cincinnati Reds, 7:10 p.m., Great American Ball Park. Radio: WPGB-FM (104.7). Starters: RHP Tony Armas (0-0) vs. RHP Aaron Harang (1-0). Key matchup: Chris Duffy lifetime against Harang is 7 for 15. Duffy continuing that success tonight should help the Pirate offense get rolling. Of note: Harang is 8-3 with a 4.15 earned run average in 13 career starts against the Pirates. Related articles Pirates Notebook: Weather big factor in return of Sanchez Cook: Pirates survive to play in cold again

CINCINNATI -- There was a bit of a "deja vu all over again" feel for Paul Maholm last night, which was not a good thing for him or the Pirates.

The left-hander's first inning of 2007 looked a lot like some of his first innings of 2006.

A run allowed in the first inning and a three-run home run by Jeff Conine in the third got Cincinnati started to a 6-1 victory against the previously undefeated Pirates.

"Early on, I kind of reverted to last year," Maholm said after the game played in chilly temperatures more fit for a Steelers-Bengals game than baseball. "I was kind of jumping at the plate. I just wasn't smooth. The first three innings were pretty brutal."

Maholm last season ranked fifth in the National League in first-inning runs allowed with 29 (30 starts).

With one out in the first last night, Maholm yielded a home run to Brandon Phillips on an 0-2 pitch.

"About the worst breaking ball you could throw on 0-2," Maholm said.

Right fielder Xavier Nady made a leaping try for the ball at the right-center field wall and banged his right knee. He remained in the game. With a quick turnaround -- the game today originally was scheduled at night but will start at 1:05 p.m. -- it's conceivable Nady could get a day off .

Adam Dunn followed the home run with a single, and Maholm walked Edwin Encarnacion. Last season, Maholm had trouble preventing first innings from blowing up on him, but he did better this time.

He retired Ken Griffey Jr. on a fly to center and set down Conine on a bouncer to the left of third baseman Jose Bautista, who made a nice play with a diving stop.

Maholm encountered trouble again in the second, but he pitched out of it.

A leadoff walk to Alex Gonzalez and a single by David Ross put runners on first and second. Pitcher Matt Belisle struck out trying to bunt before Ryan Freel rolled into a double play.

Maholm seemed headed for an easy third inning, getting Phillips and Dunn to fly to center.

Encarnacion, however, grounded a single through the middle. Griffey rolled a weak ground ball to the left side against the overshift to the right. Jack Wilson fielded the ball and threw strongly to first base. It appeared the throw beat Griffey, but he was called safe.

"If I make another [good] pitch [to Conine], it's not an issue," Maholm said of the call at first base.

Encarnacion reached third, not that it mattered much. Conine drove a 1-0 pitch into the left-center field seats, boosting Cincinnati's lead to 4-1.

"If I throw a sinker away as planned, we get another ground ball," Maholm said.

As it turned out, that sinker cut back over the heart of the plate, and Conine did with it what good hitters are supposed to.

Maholm lasted another two innings and was "terrific," according to manager Jim Tracy.

"The first three innings, we pitched behind in the count -- a lot," Tracy said. "That enables them to take some pretty healthy whacks at you."

Maholm attributed his early-inning troubles to having too much adrenaline because it was his first start of the season. And he said he also wanted to pitch well to try to extend the Pirates' winning streak to four games.

"But being behind, 2-0, 3-0, makes it difficult to pitch," he said.

The Reds added to their lead in the seventh after Freel's leadoff double off left-hander Juan Perez. With one out, Freel stole third and continued home when Ronny Paulino's low throw skipped into left field.

Cincinnati added another unearned run in the eighth against Damaso Marte.

Griffey drew a leadoff walk before Conine popped to shortstop. Gonzalez shot a single to center. The ball caromed away from Chris Duffy, and that error put runners on second and third. Ross' sacrifice fly to center drove in Griffey.

For the first time since 1984, a Pirates manager used the same lineup -- exclusive of the pitcher -- for the first four games of the season.

"It just makes sense," Tracy said. "You've heard me talk about wanting to have some measure of consistency in what you do with your lineup from day to day. Right now, the possibility is there to do that."

But the lineup that produced three victories in Houston produced only a couple of scoring opportunities last night against Belisle, a converted reliever.