Cincinnati @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 15, 2013 ) Cincinnati 2, Milwaukee 1

The Cincinnati Reds are creeping up on the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central. The Reds attempt to gain more ground at the expense of the last-place Brewers when they visit Milwaukee on Friday. As the Cardinals and Pirates have taken turns beating up on each other over the last week, Cincinnati has crept to within 2 1/2 games of first-place Pittsburgh and sit one-half game behind second-place St. Louis.

The Reds are six games clear of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the race for the second NL wild-card spot and are aiming for a sixth straight win on Friday. The pitching staff has been the star during the five-game winning streak, with a total of seven runs allowed. The Brewers, who collected six hits in a 2-1 loss in the series opener on Thursday, have dropped three of four.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Mike Leake (10-5, 2.86 ERA) vs. Brewers LH Tom Gorzelanny (3-4, 2.51)

Leake is winless in his last three starts but held San Diego to two runs (one earned) on six hits in seven innings on Sunday. The former first-round pick recorded his longest outing of the season at Milwaukee on July 10, surrendering two runs on four hits in 8 1/3 innings to notch the win. He is 1-0 with a 4.05 ERA in four career starts against the Brewers.

Gorzelanny is trying to build off a stellar outing on Saturday, when he allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings to beat Seattle. The veteran swingman joined the rotation last month and earned himself a permanent spot by yielding no earned runs in four of his last six outings. Gorzelanny worked a scoreless inning of relief against the Reds on June 15.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brewers CF Carlos Gomez suffered a knee sprain in the series opener and will have an MRI on Friday.

2. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto has reached base safely in 16 straight games and snapped a 10-game homerless drought on Thursday.

3. Milwaukee rookie LF Khris Davis has homered in back-to-back games.

PREDICTION: Reds 6, Brewers 2