Joey Votto has more home runs than the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds would like it to remain that way.
Votto will try to pound the Brewers again as the Reds aim to win the first two games of a series at Miller Park for the first time in almost five years Tuesday night.
Votto leads the Reds (6-7) with a .375 average, five homers and 12 RBIs, collecting two hits in eight of 12 games. The first baseman had his second consecutive two-hit effort Monday, including a two-run homer in a 6-1 win at Milwaukee (2-11) in the opener of this four-game set.
Votto is 10 for 24 (.417) with two homers and eight RBIs in his last six games at Miller Park, and another strong performance could give Cincinnati wins in the first two games of a series there for the first time since Sept. 20-21, 2010.
The major league-worst Brewers had three hits Monday and haven't looked capable of doing much more. They're batting .208 with four homers and averaging 2.4 runs per game.
Milwaukee has totaled 10 runs during a six-game losing streak, a stretch during which its starting pitchers have posted a 6.49 ERA.
"We're playing hard. It is not a matter of we're not playing hard," manager Ron Roenicke told MLB's official website. "We're not playing perfect baseball, but we've made some nice defensive plays. We're not swinging the bat."
They may need to with Mike Fiers (0-2, 5.91 ERA) taking the mound trying to snap a career-high five-start losing streak dating to last season. Included in that span was a 3-1 loss at Cincinnati on Sept. 23, as the right-hander served up solo homers to Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco over five innings in that matchup.
Fiers' slide continued Thursday, yielding two runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 4-0 loss at St. Louis.
He may not have batterymate Jonathan Lucroy after he took a foul tip off his left foot and left in the seventh inning Monday. The catcher is hitting .156 with two RBIs this season and he's 0 for 11 with five walks in his last four games against the Reds.
Cincinnati will turn to Jason Marquis (0-1, 6.30), who got in trouble early in Wednesday's 5-0 road loss to the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander gave up two runs in each of the first two innings and ended up allowing five runs with three walks in four innings.
"He just wasn't as sharp as he was before," manager Bryan Price said. "He had good action on his ball, he just didn't command it as well."
Marquis has compiled a 13.86 ERA during a three-start losing streak against the Brewers, yielding five homers.
This is a very favorable matchup for Ryan Braun, who is 13 for 25 against him. Braun, who hit his first home run of the season Monday, is 4 for 18 (.222) in six home games.
Cincinnati expects Mesoraco to return Tuesday after missing seven games with a left hip impingement. Family reasons kept the catcher away for the opener of this series.
