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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). . Brad Malone had the other goal for the Monsters (1-1-0), while Elliott chipped in an assist for a three-point night and the games first star. Bryan Lerg also had two assists. Corban Knight and Max Reinhart scored for the Heat (1-1-0), who opened their season Friday with a 5-2 win over the Monsters in Cleveland. .com) - Hassan Whiteside scored 20 points with nine rebounds in the Miami Heats 83-75 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. . Blatter also told reporters Saturday after meeting with Qatars emir that the decision to award the tournament to the desert nation is "not reversible." There have been calls to move the tournament because of Qatars intense heat. .com) - The Eastern Conferences best team takes on one of its worst Tuesday night when the Atlanta Hawks pay a visit to the Wells Fargo Center to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. . - UFC 178, previously announced for Sept. PHOENIX -- Channing Frye appeared to have his career-high scoring night in the bag until the Phoenix Suns reserves played so well that he didnt get back in the game. Frye had to settle for a season-high 30 points instead in the Suns 117-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. "For me it is just constant movement and shooting shots that I know are good shots," Frye said, "and just not even thinking about it and letting them go. Tonight they went in." After missing all of last season for treatment of an enlarged heart, Frye made 12 of 16 shots and 5 of 7 3-pointers in his strongest game yet in an impressive comeback season -- then he sat out the final 9 1/2 minutes. "He was hot from the start," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "He makes it very difficult on teams, playing the four spot, when hes making those shots." Markieff Morris scored 16 and Goran Dragic 15 for the Suns, who never trailed and improved to 3-0 against Denver this season with one game to play. Anthony Randolph scored a season-best 19 for the Nuggets, who have lost four of five and were without guard Randy Foye because of a stomach virus. Evan Fournier, Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler added 17 points apiece for Denver. In his most extensive minutes of the season since returning from an ankle injury, Suns rookie centre Alex Len had nine points and six rebounds, pressed into added duty when Miles Plumlee tweaked an ankle. Leandro Barbosa, in his home debut after rejoining the franchise where he had his greatest NBA success, scored 13. He had missed the previous two games with a sore right shoulder. "He got to the hole several times," Hornacek said. "It doesnt even look like hes going that hard, but he knows when to do it. He takes one or two dribbles and that explosive step is what gets him by people. ... That could be a big weapon for us as we go forward." The Suns never fell behind two nights after they never had the lead in a home loss to Dallas. "Once again our defence failed us," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said.dddddddddddd"We gave up 117 points for the fourth consecutive game and it happened from the starters through the guys who came off the bench. The guys who came off the bench (for Phoenix) played so well they never had to come back to their starters. The Nuggets managed three ties in the first quarter before Phoenix took the lead for good when Fryes 22-footer made it 21-19 with 4:27 left in the opening quarter. The Suns led by as many as 11 early in the second quarter and were up 62-56 at the half. Phoenix opened the second half with a 9-1 run to take its biggest lead, 71-57, after Dragic banked in a running 10-footer. Denver got back in it with a flurry of 3-pointers and offensive rebounds. Chandler scored 11 in the third quarter, including three 3-pointers, and Denver cut the lead to 77-73 on Fourniers 3 with 4:02 to left in the period. Denver had a chance to get closer moments later, but Hickson missed two free throws. Baskets by Frye and Leandro Barbosa boosted the Suns lead to 84-77 before Lawsons late driving layup cut their margin to 84-79 entering the fourth quarter. The Nuggets started the fourth with a basket to cut it to 84-81, but thats as close as it got. Frye sank a 3-pointer to start a 7-0 spurt that made it 91-81 10:12 from the end. Denver sliced it to 91-86, then Phoenix scored the next seven and the Nuggets never got it closer than nine again. "We score enough points," Lawson said. "No defence." NOTES: The Suns shot 50.5 per cent. They are 7-0 when they shoot 50 per cent or better. ... The Suns havent swept the Nuggets since 2004-05. ... The Suns signed Barbosa to a second 10-day contract Saturday and are expected to sign him for the rest of the season when that deal expires as the team awaits the return some weeks away of guard Eric Bledsoe after knee surgery. ... In their last meeting, Dec. 20, Phoenix rallied from 21 down to win in Denver 103-99. ... Next up for Phoenix, a home game against Indiana on Wednesday night. ' ' '
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