The Pittsburgh Pirates offense ended the first half of the season on a red-hot note, scoring 13 runs on 17 hits in a 13-2 drubbing of the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.
The Pirates were paced on offense by Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker. McCutchen showed why he was a wise selection for the Home Run Derby with a two home run performance knocking in four runs. Neil Walker finished the day 5-for-5 with two RBIs and four runs scored.
The Pirates scored runs in every inning except the first, chasing Tim Lincecum out of the game after just 3.1 innings where he allowed six earned runs on seven hits.
A.J. Burnett was nearly flawless on the mound, going 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five. A two-run homer by Pablo Sandoval in the seventh was his only hiccup. Brad Lincoln went the final 2.2 innings out of the bullpen.
With the win, the Pirates are guaranteed sole possession of first place in the NL Central at the All-Star Break.
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