PITTSBURGH — Josh Harrison knows the signs. They’re unmissable. Solid starting pitching. Stellar work by the bullpen. Timely hits and aggressive baserunning.

It’s a formula that carried the Pittsburgh Pirates to the playoffs from 2013-15, one that is starting to pop up a little more regularly as Pittsburgh tries to keep pace in a lukewarm National League Central race.

Jameson Taillon scattered seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, Gregory Polanco and John Jaso hit solo home runs and the Pirates shut down Tampa Bay 4-0 on Thursday night for their fourth win in their last six games as they try to scramble back near the .500 mark as the halfway point looms this weekend.

“I think a lot of guys that have been here, the core guys, we’ve been through adversity before,” said Harrison, who had two hits and was also hit twice to raise his total to a major-league high 18. “So what was thrown at us earlier this year, things that are still being thrown at us, we know at the end of the day, we’ve been in adversity, we’ve got to keep playing and know everybody will come around.”

Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 3 with a single and an RBI and is hitting .397 since June 1 to raise his season average to .278.

“He’s an elite player,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s in a good place, he’s confident, he’s convicted in the box. He’s showing us the ability he’s had.”

Taillon (4-2) walked two and struck out four in his longest outing since returning from a battle with testicular cancer earlier this month, lowering his ERA to 2.97 despite allowing at least one base runner in six of the seven innings he worked. Considering he was undergoing cancer treatment six weeks ago wondering if his season was in jeopardy, Taillon will take it.

“Time away is tough,” Taillon said. “You’re sitting there watching guys play and you’re not able to contribute. That’s tough. I wanted a chance to come back and I wanted a chance to pitch for something and here I am.”

Chris Archer (6-5) allowed three runs in six innings, striking out five without issuing a walk for Tampa Bay, which has lost four of five. Logan Morrison and Shane Peterson had two hits apiece for the Rays but Tampa Bay went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. The Rays left 21 runners on base while losing the final two games of the interleague series.