With the Cardinals right on their heels, the Pirates continue to hang tough in the National League Central. They maintained a one-game lead in the division with a 3-1 win over the Giants last night in San Francisco.
Charlie Morton was the story of the night for Pittsburgh, as he allowed just one run over 7 2/3 innings for the victory. The only offense he needed was a three-run homer by Clint Barmes in the top of the seventh inning, which made a loser out of Madison Bumgarner. MVP hopeful Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-3 with a walk for Pittsburgh and is hitting .451 with a ridiculous .556 on-base percentage in August.
The Pirates now sit at 76-52 on the season. They need just six wins in their last 34 games to secure their first winning season since 1992.
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