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STL@MIA: Westbrook holds Marlins to two runs over six

Don't look now, but it seems the Pirates' bats have officially caught up with the quality pitching that kept the team afloat through the early part of the season.

After winning the first two games of their series in St. Louis by a combined score of 21-8, the Pirates will look to finish off a sweep of the Cardinals on Sunday. Left-hander Erik Bedard will start for the visitors, opposing Cards righty Jake Westbrook.

After scoring 147 runs in April and May combined, the Pirates plated 146 runs in June, more than any other team in baseball. They also clubbed 39 homers in the month, which led the National League.

"We're getting better. We didn't think we were as bad as we were when we were bad," Bucs manager Clint Hurdle said after Friday's win. "So this game will keep you humble. Are we going to throw 11 runs, 19 hits, whatever, 16 hits out there? No, we're not. But we have the capability to do it. The guys connected the dots tonight.

"It was one game, but I do like the way our offense has thrown some punches back in the month of June. Now we're closing the book on the month and we'll look forward to see what July brings."

While Pittsburgh will go for its third sweep of the season, the Cardinals will be looking to avoid being swept for the third time in 2012.

"They've been pretty good against us," Cards manager Mike Matheny said. "The bullpen has been solid. You just look at their team as a whole, they're a lot better than what people think.

"They had a slow start offensively, so their numbers are a little deceptive, but the last month, they've been as good as anybody. Even the starting staff, they seem to keep them in the game. Then the bullpen does a nice job of shutting things down."

Pirates: Bedard looks for second win in St. Louis
• On the season, Bedard is 4-8 with a 4.27 ERA. He is winless in his last three starts. His most recent win came June 8 against the Royals at home. His last road win came in St. Louis on May 3, when he gave up two runs and struck out 11.

• Third baseman Pedro Alvarez has gone deep twice in this series against the Cardinals. Alvarez has 15 home runs this season, 12 of which have come during day games. In his last four day games away from home, Alvarez is 7-for-14 with six home runs and 14 RBIs.

Cardinals: Westbrook going for first win against Pittsburgh
• Westbrook will start Sunday, looking to pitch well enough to end St. Louis' three-game losing streak. In 2012, the right-hander is 6-6 with a 3.77 ERA. In two starts against the Pirates this season, he's 0-2 and has allowed a combined six runs in 13 innings.

• Catcher Yadier Molina and shortstop Rafael Furcal will likely be back in the lineup Sunday. Both players received a break Saturday afternoon, with the temperature exceeding 100 degrees following a night game on Friday.

Worth noting
• Against National League Central rivals, the Pirates are 16-10 and the Cardinals are 19-15. The season series between the two teams is tied at 4.

• Going into Sunday, the Pirates have a 2 1/2-game lead over the third-place Cardinals in the NL Central. The teams will play a three-game set in St. Louis on Aug. 17-19 and a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Aug. 27-29.

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