MILWAUKEE -- Joey Votto contorted his body in the batters box as if he was trying to will his towering fly ball to stay fair as it sailed down the right field line. It did. Barely. The ball bounced off the foul pole for a two-run homer, helping the Cincinnati Reds keep pace in the NL Central race with a 7-3 victory Saturday over the Milwaukee Brewers. Maybe Vottos drive will be the spark that gets some of the Reds best hitters going down the stretch of a tight pennant chase. The Reds had lost three of their previous four. "Every game, from my perspective, its as important in April as it is in September," Votto said. "But, weve got a pretty good idea of whats happening around you. You have an idea of whos behind you and whos ahead of you, how many games you need to make up." The Pirates won Saturday night to draw even atop the division with the Cardinals, who lost. The Reds are 2 1/2 games behind both teams. Cincinnati is also trying to fend off Washington in the wild-card race. The Nationals fell 5 1/2 games back after losing to the Phillies. Homer Bailey (11-10) allowed three runs over seven innings in winning his career-best sixth straight decision. Votto and leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo each finished 2 of 3 with three RBIs and two-run homers. "We scored enough runs and got a win," Bailey said. "We needed it." Driving in runs has been a challenge for four of the Reds big bats in September. Brandon Phillips, Ryan Ludwick, Jay Bruce and Votto had combined for 13 RBIs in 12 games this month entering Saturday. Manager Dusty Baker met privately with some hitters before the game. The Reds skipper declined to give details. Regardless of who was in the meeting, and what was said, the bats broke through. Fifth-place hitter Ludwick was 2 of 5, while No. 6 Todd Frazier went 2 of 4 with an RBI. Votto said he waited at the plate during his homer only because he wasnt sure if it would go foul. Too bad for the Brewers. "I was hoping that ball had a lot of hook in it," manager Ron Roenicke said. "But it got up there and stayed there." The homer travelled an estimated 470 feet, tied with a long ball by Rickie Weeks in 2011 for the fourth-longest in the 11-year history of Miller Park. The Brewers had a shot in the eighth after Jeff Bianchi was walked by Sam LeCure to load the bases with two outs for pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy. Baker responded by bringing in All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman in the eighth. The last time he faced the hard-throwing closer, on Aug. 16 at Miller Park, Lucroy hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Milwaukee a 7-6 win. Same ballpark, different result. This time, Lucroy swung at a 100 mph heater in the dirt. The ball skipped past the plate and bounced off the backstop, though catcher Devin Mesoraco retrieved it in time to throw out Lucroy at first. "To repeat something like that, really tough," Roenicke said about Lucroys chances of success again off Chapman. "At a 101 mph, its tough." Chapman walked two in the ninth, but struck out the last two batters to finish off his 36th save. Brewers rookie Johnny Hellweg (1-4), making his fifth career major league start, allowed eight hits and four runs, and hit three batters over five innings. Carlos Gomez had two hits and an RBI for the Brewers, while Jean Segura stole his NL-leading 43rd base of the season. They got outmuscled by Choo and Votto at the plate. Choo reached on a walk with one out in the sixth. One out later, Votto turned on a fastball from reliever Michael Blazek for his 23rd homer and a 6-3 lead. Bailey allowed five hits, with the Brewers causing all their damage in the fourth. Khris Davis, back in the lineup after missing more than a week with a sore left wrist, doubled home Scooter Gennett. Gomez singled home Davis. The speedy Gomez then stole his 36th base before advancing home on two consecutive sacrifice flies to get Milwaukee to 4-3. Vottos homer two innings later gave the Reds a three-run cushion again. NOTES: Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez (left wrist) was unavailable after being hit by a pitch Friday night. He was considered day to day ... Milwaukee is testing different tinting and shading on windows near the roof down the right-field line in an effort to help reduce glare during day games. The team hopes to have its chosen option in place for next season. ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. [url=http://www.thegermanysoccerproshop.com/world-cup-thomas-muller-football-jer... Muller Germany Jersey . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. ... Can Germany Jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Germany Soccer Jersey . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery.Anybody worried about how Bruno Mars would do on one of the worlds largest stages had obviously never seen the young star perform live. That all changed Sunday night when tens of millions got their first chance to see why hes one of the most exciting live acts of his generation. Mars, 28, took his high-powered live show to Super Bowl halftime, creating what felt like an intimate show in the arena in East Rutherford, N.J., and supersizing it in what has become a defining moment for those who preceded him on the list of halftime performers in the big game. The Grammy Award-winning singer eliminated any doubters from the second he appeared on screen in a skinny tie and gold jacket almost as dazzling as his smile. He played a deep-groove drum solo while rolling across the field on a raised, motorized platform, then joined his smoking-hot live band for a series of energetically executed hits that were clearly not lip-synced. He then seamlessly integrated the Red Hot Chili Peppers into his set. "There were a lot of doubters and my man delivered," Fox commentator Howie Long said after the performance. Hard to disagree. There were no flubs, no negative moments that will live on at the water cooler Monday morning. And while you can argue about the entertainment value of watching shirtless Chili Peppers gambol about the stage, the 50-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famers managed to match Mars energy in a brief appearance that was no less memorable. Mars trades in shared memories, taking the best of acts that have come before like the infectiousness of Sting and The Police, or the groove of James Brown, and updatting them with lyrics and sounds that capture the freshness of the current moment.dddddddddddd He opened by displaying the beauty of his high tenor with the sing-a-long-inviting "Locked Out of Heaven" and "Treasure" before transitioning to "Runaway Baby." That song, with its Brown-flavoured beat, allowed the Hawaiian-born singer to dance in homage to "Soul Brother Number One," complete with an impressive gymnastics-style split as part of his moves. He broke down the band to silence and killed the lights for a moment, allowing the crowds screams to be heard at home, before transitioning to the Chili Peppers and the funky "Give It Away." The Chili Peppers, which included singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea sans shirts in temperatures that hovered in the 40s, powered through the song, then joined Mars and his Hooligans in a quick few bars from Black Sabbath. Mars and his eight-piece band, The Hooligans, were dressed from head-to-toe in custom-made clothes from Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane. Fox cut to video segments of soldiers around the world dedicating the next song to loved ones before going back to Mars. He appeared alone on a small stage in the centre of the field where he sang the ballad "Just the Way You Are" with the stands full of lights and the sky aflame with the biggest fireworks display in NFL Super Bowl history. It was a powerful moment and compared favourably to past performances by stars like Prince and Bruce Springsteen. There was never a dull moment. Thats about all you can ask, especially in a game that was full of them. 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