Pirates Maholm Solid; McCutchen, Correia Get Their Stars

Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Andrew McCutchen finally got his stars.

He played well with them on his jersey in front of 31,000+ at PNC Park having a celebration for his well deserved selection to the All-Star Game.   He did it with a bang. McCutchen is now batting .291 with 14 home runs after blasting a three-run bomb off Cubs starter Ramon Ortiz.

Ortiz was the pitcher who plunked Cutch last season and the Bucs got their satisfaction by ripping seven hits and building a 4-0 cushion after just three innings. McCutchen had the key blast, but we enjoyed Paul Maholm’s work in the batter’s box just as much as he battled for a leadoff walk.

Maholm was nasty. He pounded the ball inside and didn’t seem concerned when he beaned two Cubs batters as he had a season-high eight strikeouts. His approach and command have never been in question, but his willingness to pitch inside has made a difference for the always dependable left hander this season. It’s been fun to watch.

The Pirates defense turned double play after double play behind Maholm who upped his record to 6-9 by allowing just one run on four hits.

Follow RumBunter on Twitter