All-Star Johnny Cueto ends his first half with 13th victory

Johnny Cueto’s teammates of half a season could have paid him no better tribute Wednesday night after he pitched a complete-game, 5-1 victory against the Rockies at AT&T Park in his final outing before a possible All-Star Game start.

The Giants have gotten so much more out of a pitcher they signed to a six-year, $130 million contract in December.

At 13-1 he became the first Giants pitcher since John Burkett in 1993 with that many wins before the All-Star break.

Cueto pitched his fourth complete game of the season, his first against any team besides the Padres and first since May 23, a point he made to closer Santiago Casilla before ensuring that a struggling bullpen would not be a story by giving it the night off.

National League and Mets manager Terry Collins has not named his starter, but the leading candidates have to be his man, Noah Syndergaard, and Cueto.

Locked in enough to get an 0-for-4 from Nolan Arenado, including a double play and one of his eight strikeouts.

Buster Posey assumed the team lead in homers at 11 with a sixth-inning solo shot off Jorge De La Rosa that gave the Giants a 3-1 lead.

Brandon Belt stumped for All-Star final-five votes with a first-inning triple that keyed a two-run rally and a double in a two-run eighth that made a tight game more comfy.

Brandon Crawford hit a two-out single that scored Belt in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The Giants went 13-7 during a stretch of 20 games without a day off, the longest allowed by the collective bargaining agreement.