SAN FRANCISCO -- Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen says hitting is contagious.

Fortunately for the former National League Most Valuable Player, bad luck apparently isn't.

Rebounding from a game in which he was robbed of at least four RBIs by two great catches in the outfield, McCutchen contributed a triple, double and two singles to a 14-hit attack Tuesday night, helping the Pirates make it two in a row over the San Francisco Giants with a 7-4 victory.

Right-hander A.J. Burnett overcame a two-run first inning and a two-run home run by Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford to win a sixth consecutive start as the Pirates clinched their sixth consecutive non-losing series against the defending champions.

"We're showing what we can do right now," Burnett said after the Pirates won for the 10th time in their last 12 games. "It's fun to be a part of it."

McCutchen and first baseman Pedro Alvarez drove in two runs apiece and shortstop Jordy Mercer smacked his first homer of the season, helping the Pirates improved to 4-2 on their 10-game trip.

"One guy does something, the next guy wants to do it, too," McCutchen insisted. "It's contagious. It really is.

"The pitchers are doing it, too. It's not a surprise we're doing what we're doing."

Alvarez's RBIs came on a two-run double that capped a four-run third inning against Giants starter Chris Heston and doomed the home club, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy insisted.

"The big inning got us," Bochy said. "That's what we need to stay away from. We've been doing a good job of staying away from that during the good month of May. We limit the damage, give up a run here or there. But you give up a big, crooked number, that's a lot tougher to overcome."

Alvarez, Mercer, third baseman Josh Harrison and second baseman Neil Walker had two hits apiece for the Pirates, but it was McCutchen who wielded the big stick.

The four-time All-Star nearly hit for the cycle even before he came to the plate in the eighth inning needing a home run to do so. His high fly to right field in the third inning bounced off the fence, resulting in what he called the longest single of his career.

Then there was his fourth-inning triple toward the 421-foot marker in right-center field of uniquely configured AT&T Park.

"The ball I hit to right-center was supposed to go out," McCutchen said. "Triples alley ..."

McCutchen flied to right field on the first pitch he saw in the eighth.

"I thought about it," he said of needing a homer for the cycle. "Stayed humble, man. I'm not going up there trying to hit a homer. I was hoping for a broken-bat single. Stayed with my approach."

Burnett, whose string of nine consecutive starts allowing two or fewer runs ended in his previous outing in San Diego, extended his winning streak into June despite giving up four runs on eight hits in five innings. He stranded two Giants baserunners in three of his five innings.

Burnett (6-1) walked two and struck out five.

"He battled," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "We were able to minimize big innings. They don't get a third run, a fourth run. So it's a total team effort."

Right-hander Arquimedes Caminero pitched two hitless innings of relief before left-hander Tony Watson put the potential tying runs on base in a 7-4 game in the eighth. Watson got out of the two-out jam, however, by getting Giants second baseman Joe Panik to ground into a force out with the bases loaded.

Closer Mark Melancon recorded his second save in two nights, and 15th overall, with a scoreless ninth inning.

Right fielder Hunter Pence had three hits, including a double, and Crawford two for the Giants, who were out-hit 14-11. Catcher Buster Posey laced a two-run double in the first inning.

The loss was for fourth in a row for San Francisco,