Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong both breathed sighs of relief on Friday.

[Cubs takeaways: What we learned in series-opening win over L.A. Angels]

In the first inning, it was Tucker. His solo shot, crushed into the setting sun over Angel Stadium’s right field seats, marked his first home run since July 19.

And then, in the ninth, it was Crow-Armstrong who delivered the dagger. Kenley Jansen’s cutter down the middle never stood a chance, and Crow-Armstrong crushed it 396 feet as the Cubs took the lead and never looked back. It was his first homer since July 23.

The Cubs’ 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels was propped up by the familiar feeling of a Tucker-Crow-Armstrong 1-2 punch. It’s what carried the Cubs to the top of MLB in the first half of the season.

As of late, that feeling had been fading. Crow-Armstrong was frank about what it’s been like for him.

“Without sounding too sour about anything, it’s about time I stepped up in a situation like that,” he told reporters after the game. “I don’t really know what to say … I’m processing, and it felt great.”

Before Friday, Crow-Armstrong’s offensive numbers, like Tucker’s, had been dire for a month or so. He was slashing .195/.265/.287 (.553 OPS) with six RBI and 29 strikeouts since July 25. In that stretch, the Cubs went 13-12 — just barely hovering over .500 with an offense that couldn’t get anything else going while Crow-Armstrong and Tucker struggled.

“It’s time to start putting up more runs and being a part of that,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters. “We’ve shown that we’re really capable of coming back in games all year. We’ve shown that we’re really capable of putting up big numbers in any inning.”

After Crow-Armstrong’s home run, the typically even-keeled Craig Counsell could be seen pumping his fists in jubilation from his seat in the dugout. When speaking to media postgame, the Cubs’ manager wore a smile on his face that looked to be one of relief for his two star players.

“Two guys that needed a big hit,” Counsell told reporters of Crow-Armstrong and Tucker. “Getting them a contribution to a ‘W’ on the offensive side — I think it makes everybody feel good.”

Tucker had fewer words for his own triumph.

“It felt good to get a ball in the air, hit it hard and put a run on the board,” he told reporters. “It was nice.”

Tucker’s slump had been circulating a bit more widely than Crow-Armstrong’s. Amid the worst offensive stretch of his career, he was slashing .174/.327/.228 (.556 OPS) since the All-Star break concluded. He was nursing a hairline fracture in his finger that he’d been dealing with since June 1.

But none of that changed the fact that he’s been the focal point of the Cubs this season, whether it’s on the field or as the guy that young players like Crow-Armstrong look up to.

“Kyle’s just … He’s so pro,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters of his teammate. “Any guy with a track record like that, you’re always just kind of waiting for that one swing from him. He got us off to a good start tonight.

“I mean, the guy’s great to have around. He’s been battling whatever he’s been battling, but he hasn’t made that the thing. All he’s done is come in and work … If anything, he’s taught me how to stay the course. But he was also the last person to come up and pat me on the butt before my last at-bat.”

There’s no question that Tucker’s offensive success rubbed off on Crow-Armstrong and the rest of the Cubs’ lineup early in the season. So on a night when Tucker may have broken out again, it was only natural that Crow-Armstrong did the same. That encouragement spurred Crow-Armstrong to take the biggest swing he’s taken in weeks.

“I felt a little bit freed up for him,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters. I think that honestly contributed to me taking my fourth at-bat … The most rewarding thing in my recent memory is looking toward the dugout 30 minutes ago. I’ve been wanting so badly to be able to celebrate something like that with them.”