The Pirates got their first win of the season in Cincinnati — they'd been 0-4 — and finished July with a 17-9 record, the best in the National League.
McCutchen connected off Michael Lorenzen (3-6), and Jung Ho Kang had three doubles and drove in a run to support Jeff Locke (6-6). The left-hander lasted five innings and turned it over to the rebuilt bullpen.
Former Tigers closer Joakim Soria arrived a few hours before the game and slipped into his new role as setup man. He loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh — a pair of walk got him in trouble — but snagged Brayan Pena's liner over his head to end the threat.
