The Cubs’ offense is having a blast playing the Pirates this season.

In 4 games this season, the Cubs have scored 36 runs and hit .340/.435/.438 against Pittsburgh.

Center fielder Mike Tauchman might be having the most fun, though. The 32-year-old is 6-for-13 against Pittsburgh and was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI on Monday in the Cubs’ 8-0 win over the Pirates in the series opener at PNC Park.

The Cubs’ offense has scored 52 runs since their first series against Pittsburgh last week and that’s allowed them to go on a 6-1 run over their last seven games and they’re 8-2 across their last 10.

“I think that even when maybe the results weren’t there, I felt like the at-bats were still there,” Tauchman told Taylor McGregor after the game. “We just ran into some poor luck and that was bound to change. We’ve just started to see some results.”

The Cubs have won 5 straight games against the Pirates and scored 7 runs in each of those games, the first time they’ve done that since 1894-1895.

Tauchman led off the game with a single, added a 2-RBI-single in the 2^nd inning and another RBI single in the 7^th inning.

“His presence has really meant a lot,” manager David Ross told reporters after the game.

The Cubs broke open the game in the 3^rd inning, with rain pouring and Pirates starter Osvaldo Bido struggling for command. Tauchman’s 2-run single started it and Nico Hoerner followed that with an RBI single, another clutch performance by the Cubs’ second baseman with runners in scoring position.

Even when things looked like they weren’t going to go Tauchman’s way, the ball made sure they did. In the 8^th inning, with runners on first and second and one out, Mike Tauchman grounded into what looked like an inning-ending double play. But second baseman Ji Hwan Bae threw the ball past his shortstop into right field, scoring Yan Gomes and advancing Nick Madrigal to third.

The Cubs moved to 3.5 games back in the NL Central race behind the Reds, who have won 9 games in a row.