place with Parsons even before small forwards Carmelo Anthony or Le

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). DaRon Payne Jersey . Team officials travelled to Los Angeles on Thursday night to meet with the free agent, a person with knowledge of the plans said. Clinton Portis Womens Jersey . Hoffman, the former star closer, will evaluate and help co-ordinate all pitchers at Double-A, Triple-A and the big league team. Byrnes says Hoffman "will be a key part of finishing the development of our younger pitchers. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Joe-Theismann-Jersey/ . Canada will host Japan in a World Group first-round match in 2015. It will be a rematch of their first-round clash last year when Japan defeated Canada 4-1 to reach the World Group quarter-finals for the first time in its history. DaRon Payne Womens Jersey . FIFA said the suspension was requested by ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia, making Beckenbauer the first person to be punished as a result of the case. Beckenbauer refused "repeated requests for his assistance, including requests that he provide information during an in-person interview or in response to written questions provided in both English and German," FIFA said in a statement. Dexter Manley Youth Jersey . Although head coach Randy Carlyle jokingly wondered how much actual training Bolland got done while in London. "I dont know how much training goes on when you go back to the junior team that you played for so I wouldnt read too much into that," laughed Carlyle after the Maple Leafs were put through an up-tempo practice that concluded with a 10-minute bag skate on Thursday.The Dallas Mavericks have made a move at small forward, with restricted free agent Chandler Parsons signing a three-year offer sheet worth more than $45 million. Houston will now have to decide whether to match the offer. Several photos of Parsons signing an offer sheet were posted on a Cyber Dust account controlled by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the team early Thursday, when the NBAs moratorium on signing free agents ended. The photos, including one of Cuban posing with Parsons, appeared briefly just after midnight Dallas time. The Rockets have three days to match the offer, though it wasnt immediately clear if they would do so for the 25-year-old forward who has played for them the past three seasons. Parsons was a second-round pick out of Florida in the 2011 draft. Dallas got an agreement in place with Parsons even before small forwards Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James announced where they will play, a signal thatt the Mavericks are most likely out on the two most prominent free agents.dddddddddddd Anthony visited the Mavericks at the start of the free agency period, but Dallas owner Mark Cuban has acknowledged that he couldnt offer the forward a max contract. Parsons averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists last season for the Rockets. He has played 213 games, starting 207 of them, while averaging 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists. In Dallas, he would be in a frontcourt with Dirk Nowitzki and recently reacquired Tyson Chandler. Nowitzki and point guard Devin Harris have already agreed on new contracts that will be able to be signed as early as Thursday. Chandler, part of the Mavericks only NBA title in 2011, rejoined Dallas in a trade from the New York Knicks. Shawn Marion, the primary small forward for Dallas the past five seasons, is a defensive specialist and unrestricted free agent. ' ' '