Paul Maholm stifled a bored Cubs team on Sunday, allowing just one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 9-1 Pirates victory. He struck out eight while walking zero in what was one of his best starts in a surprising season. He'll enter the All-Star break with a 2.96 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, but highly pedestrian 75/42 K/BB ratio.

Paul Maholm beat the Astros by yielding three runs -- one earned -- and five hits in six innings Monday. Maholm has allowed a total of eight earned runs in his last six starts, though he's just 3-2 during that span. The five runs the Pirates scored today were the most they had come up with in a Maholm start since June 2.