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McCutchen Shines In Pirates 9-1 Win Over Cubs

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- After falling behind early and losing on Saturday night, the Pirates didn't slide into the All-Star break content with just one win over Chicago.

Instead, the Bucs jumped on the Cubs early and kept adding on for a 9-1 win Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. Now, they're heading to the break on a high at 47-43.

It was all-star Andrew McCutchen who shined in the win as he homered and drove in five runs.

McCutchen backed starting pitcher Paul Maholm with a three-run homer and two sacrifice flies. Neil Walker went 3 for 4, and Alex Presley had two hits and scored two runs.

For the Cubs, rookie Darwin Barney had two hits.

McCutchen already had a sacrifice fly when he came up with Presley and Walker aboard in the third. He sent an 0-1 pitch from Ramon Ortiz (0-2) into the Cubs' bullpen in left-center for his 14th homer.

McCutchen was named to the All-Star roster on Saturday.

During both the first and third innings, Presley singled and Walker hit a one-out double before McCutchen came up.

Walker tripled leading off the fifth to chase Ortiz. He scored on McCutchen's fly ball against Chris Carpenter.

Maholm (6-9) allowed one run and four hits in 7 2-3 innings, finishing with eight strikeouts and no walks. The left-hander improved to 9-2 in his career against the Cubs and has allowed only one run in 23 1-3 innings against them this season.

Reed Johnson scored on Aramis Ramirez's fielder's choice in the fourth for Chicago's first run off Maholm in 19 innings this season. Johnson started the inning with a double and moved to third on Starlin Castro's single.

Chris Resop got Johnson to fly out to end the eighth, and Jose Veras finished the four-hitter.

Since shutting out Chicago on May 28, Maholm is 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in nine starts.

Via hit batters and Pittsburgh errors, Chicago had baserunners Sunday, but the Pirates turned a double play in each of the first four innings.

Ortiz was charged with six runs and seven hits.

The Pirates have their best record and are closer to first place this late in the season than at any time since their most recent winning season in 1992. Surprising Pittsburgh entered Sunday a game behind Milwaukee and St. Louis in the NL Central standings.

After the All-Star break, the Pirates head to Houston for three games against the Astros beginning on Friday at 8:05 p.m.

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Pittsburgh Pirates
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Photo Gallery: Pirates Versus Cubs At PNC Park
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