CHICAGO — For Kyle Tucker, the last few weeks have weighed on him.

Since July 1, the Cubs’ superstar slugger is slashing .200/.336/.248 (.584 OPS) with one home run and 10 RBI. That’s led to some uncharacteristic behavior from Tucker.

The usually even-keeled right fielder showed his frustrations in Toronto, chucking a helmet into the dugout after making an out. Saturday, he chucked his bat in frustration after a strikeout.

“Normally I don’t really show much emotion out there or anything, I just try to do my job,” Tucker said after the Cubs’ 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. “But I mean it’s been tough the last two months or so, but just got to keep going out there, having my at-bats, trying to do the most with them.

“I don’t really try to do any of that [displaying frustration], at least on the field, but just kind of move on and just taking the next at-bat and trying to regroup.”

It’s the approach the Cubs have preached since they entered this offensive funk that’s seemed to linger longer than they would have liked. But it’s easier to say and preach that day-to-day, at-bat-to-at-bat approach when you have some results to back it up.

During his struggles, Tucker even changed up his routine a bit to try and snap out of his rut. The eight-year veteran, who has a career .864 OPS, took batting practice out on the field at the Rogers Centre.

“I haven’t really driven the ball great in the air,” Tucker said. “And I was just trying to get that feeling back and trying to do it out on the field, where you have the visual of what it’s going to be like in the game, and trying to replicate that once the game starts.  

“I had a good few swings out in Toronto that just didn’t really end up as a hit or anything, but it’s how baseball goes sometimes, you try to battle through it.”

Tucker and the Cubs hope Saturday is the start of returning to form.

Sure, it wasn’t the offensive outburst that Cubs fans became accustomed to in the first half, but Saturday’s two-run eighth inning was an encouraging sight for an offense that has been barren since the Midsummer Classic. And it was even sweeter after squandering a bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth and a first-and-second, no-out situation in the sixth.

Tucker led the bottom of the eighth with a single, then stole second base on a baserunning gamble that backfired on the Cubs a day prior.

“There was a great stolen base there,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “A gutsy stolen base that … it’s almost the same play as yesterday that we got thrown out on. We took a risk, and Kyle took a risk and had something and picked the right pitch to go on.”

Seiya Suzuki, who had a strong case to be an All-Star and had driven in 77 runs before the season’s midway point, drove in just his ninth RBI since the break with a single to center field to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead. Suzuki would later score on a Nico Hoerner double that added a vital insurance run.

“That’s the at-bat we kind of want there is Seiya against a left-handed [pitcher],” Counsell said. “Hit a couple of other balls hard today, but he got one through.”

One game or one inning won’t be the Zen moment that brings this offense back to their first half form, but as they’ve preached during this slump – much to the chagrin of fans – you just have to go out there and take a day-to-day approach, but it’s easier to do that when you have results and wins.

A 2-for-4 day with a pair of singles isn’t the bopping Tucker that Cubs fans have grown accustomed to, but winning cures all. Tucker and the other hitters can process a rough day at the plate when the “W” flag is flying over the Wrigley Field scoreboard, like it did on Saturday.

“We had a lot of fun today,” Tucker said. “Even if [there were] some innings that we thought we probably should have done a little bit more damage or taken advantage of.

“We just try to keep going and have fun with it, and trying to just get back to playing good old Cubbie baseball. Worked out well today.”

That brand of “Cubbie baseball” is the type that can score in bunches, can rally from games – Saturday’s win was the first comeback win since July 2, the longest stretch in franchise history – and can play into October.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ 13-game winning streak has put a damper on the Cubs’ chances of winning the National League Central, but it’s still a squad tied for the top spot in the Wild Card and one that believes can play deep into the postseason.

“We still have a really good team,” Tucker said. “Regardless of you how the last couple of weeks or whatever has gone, I mean, we’re still in the playoff hunt now, in the playoffs currently.

“We don’t change our course just because we might lose a few games or whatever here and there. Our goal is to grind out the season and get to the playoffs and try and win from there. So that’s what we were trying to do.”