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MILWAUKEE -- Three of Tony Cingranis 15 starts have come against the Brewers, and he knows Milwaukee cant lay off his high fastball. He threw it repeatedly Thursday night and it translated to another impressive outing by the rookie left-hander. Joey Votto hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and Cingrani pitched solidly into the seventh, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night. Cingrani struck out nine in 6 1-3 innings, with the Brewers going down swinging on all but one strikeout. "They swung at it the last two times I faced them, and they kept swinging at it, so I kept throwing it there," he said. The Reds have won five straight and 10 of 13. Cingrani (6-2) allowed only a second-inning home run to Khris Davis. In eight starts since rejoining the rotation on July 3, he is 3-2 with a 2.12 ERA. "The Pirates lost, so we picked up another game on them, it was really big," he said of the Reds pulling within 2 1/2 games of NL Central-leading Pittsburgh. Cingrani scattered four hits and one walk. "Hes confident, hes not intimidated by anybody," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "This is how you want your players to be, especially rookies. He wanted to make this team out of spring training. Hes full of determination and desire, and a lot of confidence." In the teams last seven games, Reds starters are 4-1 with a 1.35 ERA. Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 30th save in 34 chances. Vottos homer on a changeup was the only earned run allowed by Kyle Lohse (8-8) in seven innings. The right-hander also allowed an unearned run on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in seven innings. "It wasnt a very good one," Lohse said of the changeup to Votto. "I didnt quite get the grip and I just tried to throw it down and away. It didnt have any life on it." Brewers All-Star centre fielder Carlos Gomez sprained his right knee while making a leaping catch at the centre field wall in the fourth inning. Gomez robbed Brandon Phillips of a likely extra-base hit, and crashed awkwardly to the ground with his right knee bent under his body and his right hip hitting the base of the wall in the fourth inning. The team said Gomez would undergo an MRI on the knee Friday. Gomez said doctors told him an initial exam didnt show a serious injury, but there was pain in his knee when he tried to run. "When I start walking around, it starts to feel better but when I try to run, my knee doesnt let me," Gomez said. Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead when Davis hit a 3-2 pitch from Cingrani three rows from the top of the left field bleachers in the second. It was Davis fifth homer in his first 49 at-bats this year. The Reds tied the score 1-all in the fifth with an unearned run. Devin Mesoraco hit a bouncer up the middle, and Jeff Bianchis throw pulled first baseman Juan Francisco into the runners path and they collided at the bag. Mesoraco landed on top of Francisco as the ball scooted away. "He was a good cushion," Mesoraco said. He playfully patted Francisco twice on the side before first base coach Billy Hatcher emphatically told him to sprint to second, reaching on Bianchis throwing error. "He was right in the baseline and I had nowhere to go," Mesoraco said of Francisco. "I thought he caught it, and Hatch said, Go ahead! Go ahead! so I got up and went to second as quick as I could." Zack Cozart hit the next pitch from Lohse to centre for a single. Logan Schafers one-hop throw beat Mesoraco to the plate by several steps, but catcher Jonathan Lucroy couldnt handle the bounce and he scored to tie the game. Votto then led off the sixth with his 18th homer of the year to give the Reds the lead for good. NOTES: Gomez is batting .288 with 18 home runs and 55 RBI in 114 games. He was selected to his first All-Star game this season. ... Chapman had 38 saves in 2012, his first year as the teams closer. ... Bianchi saved two runs in the first with a leaping grab in the outfield to rob Ryan Ludwick of a hit with two outs and the bases loaded. ... The Brewers are 11-25 against left-handed starters. ... Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez is hitless in nine at-bats since returning from the DL on Tuesday. Yanni Gourde Jersey . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Braydon Coburn Jersey .The Dallas Cowboys released Sam from the practice squad Tuesday, dropping the rush end as they prepare for several potential reinforcements to return to the defensive line. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Ondrej-Palat-Jersey/ . At this point, even he isnt sure when it is going to stop. The right-hander dropped his fourth straight decision in Los Angeles 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, leaving his status very much in doubt as the Dodgers prepare for the stretch drive. Nikita Kucherov Lightning Jersey . Hamelin overcame a weak start to win bronze in the 500-metre race behind winner Wu Dajing of China and American J.R. Celski on Saturday at the world short track speed skating championship. Martin St. Louis Lightning Jersey . "Opinion: Womens World Cup is the best Soccer of the year," Hanks tweeted to his 8.73 million followers on Friday. "Hey FIFA, they deserve real grass. Put in sod.DENVER -- Justin Morneau made this perfectly clear: Hes stepping in for Todd Helton, not replacing the longtime Colorado Rockies first baseman. Because filling Heltons cleats, he said, simply cant be done. "(Helton) is irreplaceable, the impact he had in the clubhouse," Morneau said Friday after finalizing a two-year, $12.5 million deal. Morneau realizes the comparisons are inevitable as he inherits the position from Helton, who retired after a 17-year career in the Mile High City. He understands, but "were different people, were different players," he quickly added. They do have one glaring thing in common, though: Their fielding prowess at first base. Since 2003, Morneaus fielding percentage (.996) is second to only Helton (.997). "I dont think anybody will ever fill those shoes in that organization," Morneau said of Helton. "You see how rare it is for someone to play their entire career with one organization and put up the numbers he did throughout his career. His career is Hall of Fame worthy, for sure. "Im going to try and do the things I do well and not really try to replace anyone or be anyone else. Just help this team win ballgames." Over his 11-year career, Morneau is a .277 hitter and a four-time All-Star. He was the 2006 American League MVP while a member of the Minnesota Twins, batting .321 that season with 34 homers and 130 RBIs. Last season, he was traded from the Twins -- the only organization he had ever known -- to the Pittsburgh Pirates for their playoff run. That was an interesting experience. "Just kind of not being settled was completely different. At the same time, it was exciting -- to play in a new league and all the new opponents and all that stuff was fun," Morneau said. And this is another new start for him, with some familiar faces in the clubhouse. Hes reuniting with outfielder Michael Cuddyer, his former teammate in Minnesota. Cuddyer actually played a big role in Morneaus arrival at Coors Field, delivering a pretty effective sales pitch. The two talked and texted quite a bit before Morneau decided to siggn, which meant Cuddyer could stay in right field and not have to move to first base.dddddddddddd Morneau is scheduled to make $5 million in 2014 and $6.75 million in 2015. Theres a $9 million mutual option for the 16 season and a $750,000 buyout if the club declines. He also has some incentive escalators for 2015 should he have 550 or more plate appearances in 2014 ($500,000), finish in the top three in MVP voting ($1.5 million) or become an All-Star ($375,000). While Morneau has yet to discuss with manager Walt Weiss where he will hit in the batting order, this much he does know: The lineup is stacked with sluggers such as Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Cuddyer, the reigning NL batting champion. "(Cuddyer) told me great things about the organization, from their desire to win and the desire to take care of players, take care of the guys," Morneau said. "Someone I respect as much as him and plays the game the way he does, you want to (join) guys like that." Cuddyer wasnt the only one Morneau consulted for a little information on the Rockies. He also went to his fellow Canadian and boyhood idol, Larry Walker, asking Walkers opinion of the franchise the outfielder helped put on the baseball map. Walker touted the Rockies so much that they vaulted to the top of Morneaus free-agent list. Now, Morneau is hoping Walker gives him approval to wear No. 33. "To go there and possibly wear his number is something special for me," said Morneau, who grew up in New Westminster, B.C. As for the concussion issues that have plagued him at times in his career, Morneau believes thats a thing of the past. "There was a time there that Id do certain things and wonder if I was going to bring on symptoms," Morneau said. "But now it seems like Im able to get through pretty much any activity without even having a second thought or any hesitation on what Im doing. For the most part, its behind me. "Being that its baseball and not hockey or football, the chances of something like that happening again are very rare. Im hoping thats the case." ' ' '