The Pittsburgh Pirates (13-15) open a three-game weekend series tonight with the leaders of the National League Central Division, the St. Louis Cardinals (21-7) at PNC Park.
The Bucs put a five-game losing streak to rest as they enjoyed a 7-2 victory at home Thursday over the Cincinnati Reds. A.J. Burnett did his part, going seven solid innings on the mound. The 38-year-old righthander tied Dennis Eckersley with 2,401 career strikeouts for No. 40 on the all-time list.
Andrew McCutchen broke out of his slump by going 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Pirates. Gregory Polanco and Neil Walker joined McCutchen in scoring twice against the Reds.