ruff as its minor league pitcher of the year.TAKING THE LEADB

WASHINGTON -- Trailing in a tiebreaker against top-seeded John Isner, Steve Johnson managed to put a 146 mph serve into play and then decided to try something even more audacious: lob his 6-foot-10 opponent.Much to Johnsons surprise, the looping backhand worked, winning the point. Hanging in there against the big-serving Isner, Johnson weathered a total of 12 set points and withstood 29 aces to win their all-American quarterfinal at the Citi Open 7-6 (7), 7-6 (15) on Friday.Youre never too tall to lob. I thought he was going to close in really hard. And I just hit a good lob. I mean, thats about it, the fifth-seeded Johnson said about the point that came with Isner ahead 5-3 in the opening tiebreaker. I dont know if Ill ever try to lob him again and itll work, but luckily it worked today.Isners take?I love Stevie to death, he said, but I dont think that backhand lob he it -- I dont think he could do that all the time.Isner is a three-time runner-up at the hard-court tournament, including a year ago, when he beat Johnson in the semifinals. This time, Isner was unable to convert five set points in the opening frame and another seven in the second. When he lost the first tiebreaker on Johnsons forehand winner, Isner mangled his racket by slamming it to the court.The second tiebreaker was even longer and more excruciating for Isner. On his second set point, at 6-4, he got a good look at a short return by Johnson but shanked a forehand long.I dont think hell ever do that again, Johnson said. I dont know what happened.Heres how Isner explained it: I pulled up and got tentative.Not quite the longest tiebreaker of the season -- Isner lost one 18-16 last month -- it ended when he double-faulted for the only time in the nearly 2-hour contest to set up a sixth match point -- so lucky, Johnson said later -- then pushed a forehand wide.Johnson, ranked a career-best 25th, won despite never earning a break point against Isner. But Johnson saved all six break chances Isner accumulated and wound up with 22 aces himself.I certainly, in my opinion, put more pressure on him that he put on me, Isner said.Earlier Friday, sixth-seeded Jack Sock lost another two-tiebreaker match, beaten by 13th-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6).Karlovic hit 26 aces, saved all four break points he faced and reached the semifinals in Washington for the first time since 2007. Hell play Johnson on Saturday.The other semifinal will be second-seeded Gael Monfils against seventh-seeded Alexander Zverev. Monfils advanced by beating American Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, while Zverev defeated No. 4 Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-3.In the womens quarterfinals, top-seeded Sam Stosur, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, was surprised by 173rd-ranked wild-card entry Jessica Pegula 7-6 (4), 6-3, No. 7 Yanina Wickmayer beat No. 4 Kristina Mladenovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, No. 6 Yulia Putintseva eliminated Risa Ozaki 6-4, 6-2, and Lauren Davis topped Camila Giorgi 6-4, 6-4.Sock had a chance to force a third set against Karlovic, holding a set point at 6-5 in the second tiebreaker. But Karlovic erased that with -- what else? -- a 133 mph ace, then delivered a 130 mph service winner to get to match point. He won when Socks forehand clipped the net tape and flew wide.I feel like I scrap pretty well and get a lot of returns back and I still cant break the guy, Sock said. No matter who he plays -- any round, any tournament -- it comes down to a point here and there.The 37-year-old Karlovic, a 6-foot-11 Croatian, is coming off a title on grass at Newport, Rhode Island, last week.He is the oldest man to win an ATP singles tournament since 1979.Asked what its like to enter events where he could potentially face a teenager -- Zverev, for example, is 19 -- Karlovic replied: Yeah, I mean, I could be their daddy.After a brief pause, he added: And, I mean, who knows? Maybe I am.Then he cracked a big smile, rocked back in his chair and said, No, no, Im joking.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich Chicago Cubs Pro Shop Stitched Cubs Jerseys . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. https://www.cheapcubs.com/ . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Cheap Cubs Jerseys . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Chicago Cubs Gear . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. MILWAUKEE -- Dan Straily kept up his domination of the Milwaukee Brewers this season.Straily pitched into the seventh inning and Joey Votto hit a two-run homer to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-1 victory over the Brewers on Saturday night.Straily (14-8) allowed just one run on five hits with five strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts against Milwaukee in 2016.It was good, Reds manager Bryan Price said. A lot of contributors. Certainly it was a good start by Straily. Joey hits the two-run homer in the first to give us a cushion.Vottos 26th home run gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Brewers starter Taylor Jungmann (0-5).The Brewers lone run came on Domingo Santanas homer in the second.Hes been tough against us, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. I give him a lot of credit, hes pitching well. Hes very locked in to what hes doing. We havent figured him out.Scott Schebler had three hits for the Reds, while Votto and Adam Duvall each drove in two runs.Straily left with two on, two outs and a 4-1 lead in the seventh, but reliever Michael Lorenzen struck out pinch-hitter Hernan Perez to end the threat.Lorenzen stayed on to work a scoreless eighth before giving way to Raisel Iglesias for the ninth.Ive been preaching it since day one, I want to go as deep as I can and keep us in the game, Straily said. Each night dictates how late that is because each night is different.Cincinnati added insurance runs on an RBI infield single by Eugenio Suarez in the sixth and a run-scoring groundout by Duvall in the seventh.It was the third run that gave us a little more cushion, Price said. Then we got the squibber that drove in the fourth run with the bases loaded.The Reds broke the game open with two runs in ninth off Michael Blazek, whho was pitching for the first time since Aug.dddddddddddd. 13 due to an elbow injury.Jungmann settled down after allowing Vottos home run, giving up just those two runs on three hits and four walks over four innings in his first start in the big leagues since April 28.I pride myself in battling through outings like that, Jungmann said. It was an outing where I had a non-existent curveball. I felt OK. I was a little rusty. A loss is a loss, so I take it for what it is.FARM HONORSIn a pregame ceremony Saturday, Milwaukee honored INF Isan Diaz as its minor league player of the year and RHP Brandon Woodruff as its minor league pitcher of the year.TAKING THE LEADBrewers SS Jonathan Villar stole his 59th base, passing Reds OF Billy Hamilton for the league lead. With Hamilton out for the rest of the year due to a strained left oblique, Villar should finish as baseballs stolen base leader, as he leads Pirates OF Starling Marte by 12 steals.TRAINERS ROOMReds: After being scratched from the lineup Friday due to a sore left wrist, OF Tyler Holt was available to play off the bench Saturday.Brewers: OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (strained abdomen) is expected to ramp up baseball activities in the coming days, according to manager Craig Counsell. Nieuwenhuis hopes to be able to play on Milwaukees final road trip of the season.UP NEXTReds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (9-11, 4.10 ERA) will make his 30th start of the season Sunday against Milwaukee. He is 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA in three starts against the Brewers this year.Brewers: RHP Wily Peralta (7-10, 5.21 ERA) will start the series finale. He has gone 3-3 with a 3.26 ERA in eight starts since being rejoining Milwaukees rotation on Aug. 9. ' ' '