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PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has coined a phrase for where star centre fielder Andrew McCutchen is at the moment. "(Hes) McHot," Hurdle said. For once, it might be an understatement. The reigning National League MVP had two doubles and two RBIs to lift the Pirates to a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night. McCutchen is batting .428 (18 of 42) this month, with 15 of his hits going for extra bases. "Im seeing the ball and I get a pitch to hit and I hit it and its finding the gaps and thats basically whats happening right now for me," said McCutchen, a career .324 hitter in June. "Things are just working out right now and I want to continue to stay where Im at." Russell Martin also doubled twice for the Pirates and rookie Gregory Polanco got a hit in the third straight game since his call-up. Edinson Volquez (4-5) pitched seven effective innings to win for the third time in his last five starts. Volquez struck out five and walked two while outpitching Chicago ace Jeff Samardzija (2-6). It helped the Cubs could do little when given the chance. Chicago went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. "He was commanding the zone like he does when he is in a good place and we were on the other side of it," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said of Volquez. McCutchen broke it open with a two-run double in the fifth. The Pirates had seven doubles in all, their highest total since a win over Houston in July 2010. "The next team that comes in here is probably better off pitching around him and letting him go to first base," Samardzija said. Luis Valbuena had two doubles for the Cubs, who went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position to fall for the fourth time in five games. The Cubs have scored two runs or fewer in nine of Samardzijas 14 starts. Chicagos troubles werent just on offence on a night the worst road team in baseball fell to 0-9-3 in series played away from Wrigley Field this year. Samardzija struggled against a team that seems to be rounding into form behind its star centre fielder. McCutchen extended his hitting streak to eight straight by doubling with one out in the fourth before coming around to score when Martin smacked a ball off the wall in right field. Ike Davis scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Jordy Mercer to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh made it 4-0 in the fifth when Polanco -- batting leadoff for the first time -- and Starling Marte hit consecutive singles followed by drive by McCutchen to the notch in left-centre. McCutchen slid into the third on the play before making a rare mental miscue when he stepped off the base, allowing him to get tagged out in the process. "I guess thats why they say stay humble in this game, because crazy stuff like that will happen," McCutchen said. "Popping up, getting all excited and next thing you know Im floating all over the bag and his glove is right there so thats why you stay humble." It hardly mattered. The Cubs were too busy wasting chances to get to Volquez, who has suddenly emerged as a constant on Pittsburghs injury muddled pitching staff. After a bumpy patch in early May, Volquez is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in his last five starts. NOTES: The Pirates called up INF Michael Martinez from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game and optioned RHP Casey Sandler back to Indianapolis. ... Chicago CF Emilio Bonifacio left in the first inning with a rib injury and did not return. ... Chicago signed free agent C Yorvit Torrealba to a minor league deal Thursday. Torrealba, who played for Colorado last season, will report to Chicagos training complex in Mesa, Arizona. ... The Pirates begin a three-game set in Miami on Friday night against the Marlins. Jeff Locke (0-1) starts for Pittsburgh against Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 3.27). ... The Cubs continue a 10-game road trip on Friday in Philadelphia. Jake Arrieta (1-1, 2.50) starts for the Cubs against Roberto Hernandez (2-4, 4.35). Boston Celtics Pro Shop . After deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league would consider pulling out of Sochi if something "significant" happens before players arrive, those set to participate are trying not to worry about that scenario. Celtics Jerseys 2020 .C. -- Kevin Harvick won his first career pole at Darlington Raceway on Friday as he looks to chase his first Southern 500. https://www.cheapceltics.com/ .ca/CurlingSkins - with the Top 16 curlers earning a ticket to Banff, Alta. to compete in the TRAVELERS ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME Presented by Pintys, running Jan. Wholesale Celtics Jerseys . Compared to what hes gone through in recent weeks, that seemed like a breeze. Speaking to The Associated Press on Friday at an NBA Cares event, Silver said hes thrilled that the leagues attention can be on the championship series between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs -- and not, as it was for so much of the post-season, on the off-the-court matters involving the banishment of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and now the looming sale of that franchise. Boston Celtics Store . Infante hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and had an RBI single in a four-run fifth against former teammate Justin Verlander, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Tigers 11-8 Monday night.PHILADELPHIA -- The Milwaukee Brewers used a big offence on their way to an undefeated road trip. Carlos Gomez had three hits with an RBI and the Brewers extended their winning to six games with a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. The Brewers wins have all come on the road during the streak. They came to Philadelphia following a three-game sweep at defending World Series champion Boston. "It sure was (impressive)," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of the trip. "Great pitching, some big hits, bullpens doing a great job. Everythings working. Guys are getting some big hits right now." They battered the Phillies with 25 runs and 38 hits in the three-game sweep. Milwaukee has batted .320 and has outscored opponents 42-18 during the streak. "Were scoring some early and then getting to those late innings and adding on," Roenicke said. Ryan Braun had two hits and an RBI, ending the series 6 for 12 with 10 RBIs while increasing his lifetime total to 24 RBIs in 21 games at Citizens Bank Park. Braun opened the series by homering three times in Tuesdays 10-4 win. Khris Davis had two hits and two RBIs for the Brewers, who return home to host Pittsburgh on Friday night. Milwaukees 6-0 road start is its best since starting the 1987 season 7-0. "It was kind of a whole team effort on this trip and were excited to keep it going," said Jonathan Lucroy, who doubled. Marco Estrada (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, striking out six and walking two, to earn the victory. "Not only with our pitching, but with our offence, it was well played overall," Estrada said. "Its the way you want to do it, were hitting, were pitching, its the way we just have to keep doing it. Obviously, its tougher on the road to do, but we did it. It just shows what kind of team we are. Were a pretty good team." Marlon Byrd homered and had two RBIs for the Phillies, who lost their fourth straight. "The good news is they are leaving town," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Now we have to concentrate on gaining some momentum starting (Friday)." Philadelphias Chase Utley had two hits after returning from a two-game absence because of the flu. Utley batted .458 with two homers and six RBIs in his first six games prior to the illness. Cliff Lee (2-1) struck out eight and walked none, but he also allowed eight hits that resulted in three runs in six innings. Lee has allowwed 29 hits in three games.dddddddddddd "Theyre a good hitting team and they showed it in the whole series," Lee said. "They flat-out beat us." Byrds shot to left in the second put Philadelphia ahead 1-0. The Brewers took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth on Aramis Ramirezs RBI double and Davis RBI single. Milwaukee added a run in the sixth on Davis two-out RBI double. Philadelphia responded with a two-out run in the bottom of the sixth when Byrd beat out a chopper to third with the bases loaded. Estrada then got Domonic Brown to fly out to centre to end the bases-loaded threat. Milwaukee added three runs in the seventh. The Brewers got some help when Carlos Ruiz elected to throw to second on pinch-hitter Logan Schafers sacrifice bunt intended to move Rickie Weeks to second. Ruizs throw pulled shortstop Jimmy Rollins off the bag and put runners on first and second with no outs to set up the big inning. Defensive miscues have been a problem all season for Philadelphia, which entered with nine errors in eight games and several plays, such as Ruizs, that havent been ruled errors but have been costly miscues. Gomez singled home Weeks, Jean Segura drove in Estrada and Brauns sacrifice fly scored Gomez. All three runs were charged to righty reliever Jeff Manship, who faced three batters without recording an out. Milwaukee extended its club record of consecutive innings with a hit to 22 innings when Braun singled to right with two outs in the first. Lee retired the Brewers in order in the second, striking out the side, to end the streak. Brown made an excellent diving catch to take a hit away from Scooter Gennett in the ninth. It was the third diving catch off the bat of Gennett in two games. Notes: The victory gave Milwaukee its first sweep of the Phillies in Philadelphia. ... Cody Asches eighth-inning error gave Philadelphia 10 errors in eight games. Only the Dodgers and Marlins, each with 11, entered Thursday with more fielding miscues than Philadelphia among NL teams. ... A.J. Burnett (0-1, 3.86) faces Miami RHP Jose Fernandez (2-0, 0.71) at 7:05 Friday night when the teams open a three-game series in Philadelphia. ... Milwaukee returns home to face Pittsburgh at 8:10 Friday night with Brewers RHP Wily Peralta (0-0, 3.60) opposing Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano (0-1, 3.00). ... Philadelphia will call up Phillies RHP Jonathan Pettibone to start Saturdays game against the Marlins. ' ' '