PITTSBURGH — Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki recognized the two-strike changeup early and sat back, driving it the other way for an RBI double in the fifth inning Sunday.
‘‘Just wanted to make sure I didn’t strike out in that situation,’’ Suzuki said through an interpreter after the Cubs’ 10-1 rout of the Pirates. ‘‘It was a changeup that kind of hung. I’m glad I was able to get some good barrel on it.’’
Three weeks ago, making sure he didn’t strike out might have resulted in an awkward half-swing. But Suzuki has been on a roll since temporarily moving into a platoon role in early August. Since being out of the starting lineup for four consecutive games against Braves and Mets right-handers, Suzuki is batting .390 with four home runs.
‘‘I was able to think about the approach getting into the game, even things that are not affiliated with baseball, just trying to reset my feelings, my mental state,’’ Suzuki said of the time off. ‘‘And I think that’s why I’m doing pretty well right now.’’
With his performance Sunday — two doubles and two walks in five plate appearances — he extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games.
His surge has helped boost the middle of the order and given Cody Bellinger some protection. The Cubs are heading into a stretch of schedule that features the other two contending teams in the National League Central, followed by two other NL wild-card contenders.
The Cubs entered play Sunday tied with the Braves for the most runs scored since the All-Star break (242). But they’ll need the middle of their lineup at its best to make up ground — or at least maintain it — in the next two weeks.
First up, they head back to Wrigley Field to face the Brewers, who are on an eight-game winning streak.
‘‘Milwaukee may be one of the hottest teams in baseball right now,’’ manager David Ross said. ‘‘Maybe them and the Diamondbacks — all the people that are either chasing us or we’re chasing. So we’re looking forward to it.’’
Ross has used rest to get his players back on track before. It worked with Christopher Morel earlier in the season. Morel was on a seven-game hitless streak when Ross sat him for three games in early June. When Morel returned to the lineup, he responded with 11 hits in the next seven games.
‘‘When you’re able to sit over here and watch the game, you’re like, ‘Oh, wow, this looks obvious from over here,’ ’’ Ross said. ‘‘The game slows down a little bit. You’re able to take yourself out of the competition and just really focus on slowing the game down and seeing what a pitcher may be doing to other hitters and watch the game in a different way.’’
That change in perspective seemed to be exactly what Suzuki needed.
‘‘I just feel really good,’’ Suzuki said. ‘‘I think I’m being very aggressive in the box, taking good swings. So I just want to make sure I continue this.’’
Suzuki doubled again to lead off the eighth Sunday, this time turning on a changeup down the middle to hit a line drive into left field.
Then it was Suzuki’s time to show his prowess on the basepaths. He tagged up and took third on a long fly by Yan Gomes, then raced home on a swinging bunt by Jeimer Candelario.
‘‘When he’s swinging it well offensively and has confidence, the rest of his game has been ticked up,’’ Ross said. ‘‘And I think that’s just playing free, having confidence in yourself, having some joy in your game and some fun out there.’’
