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The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Votto, Hanigan homer for Reds, Davis connects twice for Brewers in 9-9 tie

By: The Associated Press

Saturday, Mar. 16, 2013 at 10:07 PM | Comments: 0

Milwaukee Brewers' Khris Davis, top, rounds the bases after a two-run home run off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake, bottom, during the third inning of a spring training baseball game in Phoenix, Saturday, March 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

PHOENIX - Mike Leake knows what the problem was.

Now he's got to fix it.

Leake allowed 10 hits and seven runs — five earned — in 3 1-3 innings, and a Cincinnati Reds split squad and Milwaukee Brewers played to a 9-9 tie Saturday night.

"I was slightly more elevated today than normal," Leake said. "I probably didn't mix speeds as much as I should have. The combination of being more elevated and throwing harder meant more balls in play."

Leake, who is competing with converted closer Aroldis Chapman for a spot in the Reds' rotation, went 8-9 with a 4.58 ERA with the Reds in 2012.

"You're trying to work and you're also trying to get outs to make the team," Leake said. "It's kind of weird. It's part of the game and part of the profession."

Cincinnati slugger Joey Votto had three hits and hit his second spring training homer. Votto, who recently returned from playing with Canada in the World Baseball Classic, went 3 for 4 with three RBIs. He homered off Travis Webb in the seventh, a solo shot. He hit a two-run single off Milwaukee starter Mike Fiers in a three-run Reds' third.

Milwaukee minor leaguer Khris Davis homered twice and drove in five runs. He's caught the attention of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke

"He's put us in a position where we're talking about how he fits on the bench and we can do with our last two or three spots," Roenicke said. "We've got to make a decision. If we need a right-hander hitter, he's right now maybe the best hitter we've got.

"What we really need is somebody who can go to the outfield but we need a hitter," he said. "If we have all left-handed hitters on the bench, for pinch hitters, it would be nice to have a right-handed hitter."

Davis opened the 2012 season with Double-A Huntsville and hit a combined .350 with 15 homers and 43 RBI at three levels in the Brewers' organization.

Ryan Hanigan hit his first spring homer off Mike Fiers in the third. Fiers said it was a changeup that came in to Hanigan rather than down.

Fiers is a candidate for a spot at the back end of the Brewers' rotation.

"I'm trying to make the team first and then the rotation and just do my job," Fiers said.

Corky Miller's RBI single in the top of the ninth gave Cincinnati a 9-8 lead in the top of the ninth.

Lance Roenicke's RBI single tied the game in the bottom if the ninth .

NOTES:The Reds trimmed their roster to 39 after sending RHPs Curtis Partch and Pedro Villarreal, INF Henry Rodriguez, 1B Naftali Soto and 1B-OF Donald Lutz to their minor league camp.

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