MILWAUKEE -- On any given day, Dan Straily is arguably the Cincinnati Reds' best starting pitcher.

Give him an early lead and the right-hander is even better.

The Milwaukee Brewers found that out the hard way Saturday, as Joey Votto hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Straily (14-8) settled in for 6 2/3 solid innings to lead the Reds to a 6-1 victory at Miller Park.

"I've been preaching it since day one," said Straily, who has gone 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA over his last five starts. "I want to go as deep as I can and keep us in the ball game."

He accomplished those goals Saturday, scattering five hits and a pair of walks while striking out five. The only blemish on his line came in the second, when he left a first-pitch fastball up to Domingo Santana, who ripped it to left for his 10th home run of the season, making it a 2-1 game.

But Milwaukee couldn't get any closer. Straily retired the next two batters on grounders to short then, after a two-out walk in the third, sat down four in a row before back-to-back singles in the fifth inning.

"I give him a lot of credit, he's pitching well," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He's very locked in to what he's doing. We haven't figured him out. He's done a good job against us."

Votto's done a nice job against Milwaukee, too. His home run was his only hit Saturday, but he finished with three walks. It was the 16th homer of his career at Miller Park, where's he's a .347 hitter with 48 RBIs.

"I hate him on the field, but off the field you have to respect that guy," said Brewers starter Taylor Jungmann, who served up Votto's first-inning blast. "He's an unbelievable hitter. He really is fun to watch when you are not throwing against him. Just his approach, the pitches he fouls off that should be strike three, I went from 0-2 to a walk. He's a great hitter."

Making his first big league start since April 28, Jungmann (0-5) threw 71 pitches over four innings. He allowed just the two runs on Votto's homer, along with three hits while walking four -- one intentionally -- and striking out three.

"It was a good start," Jungmann said. "I figured they would have me on a pitch count but they never said what it would be. I'd like to go seven, but I obviously haven't thrown a whole lot so that would be impossible."

Counsell said Jungmann, who was demoted in April after an 0-4 start that produced a 9.15 ERA, would get one more start this season.

"There was a little rust there, but I was proud of him for putting up four good innings," Counsell said. "His curveball was not as good as it can be. He pitched well with his fastball. His fastball was good. It had good movement on it. He bounced the curveball often tonight."

The Reds tacked on runs in sixth and seventh innings then took advantage of a Scooter Gennett error to add another in the ninth with Brandon Phillips providing the final margin with a sacrifice fly.

In all, Cincinnati combined for 10 hits with Scott Schebler accounting for three and Eugenio Suarez and Jose Peraza added two each.

"Some big hits tonight," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I'll tell you what I thought was a standout play was after (Adam) Duvall hit the double to lead off the (sixth) inning, with one out he steals third base and puts himself in a position where they had to go infield in.

"He scores going on contact on that chopper by Suarez for an infield hit. That was a big run, it was the third run and gave us a little more cushion. Then we got the squibber that drove in the fourth run with the bases loaded.

"We did some good things today."

NOTES: Brewers OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis is still rehabbing after suffering a sports hernia last week at Chicago. He's not expected to play this weekend as Milwaukee wraps up its final homestand of the season, but he will join the team on its trip to Texas and Colorado. Manager Craig Counsell said he thinks Nieuwenhuis will see action before the season ends. ... Reds OF Tyler Holt remains day to day because of a sore wrist. He was scratched from Cincinnati's lineup on Friday and was not among the starting nine on Saturday. ... The Reds lead the season series 10-8 with one game left. Milwaukee has won the season series with Cincinnati only once since 2006.