Javier Báez didn’t make the cut for the Masters this year, but his golf swing looked as good as ever on Thursday.

With the Cubs trailing by a run in the top of the seventh, Báez reached out for a low changeup from Pirates starter Tyler Anderson and snuck a two-run home run over the left-field wall. Báez’s second homer of the season highlighted a bounce-back effort from Chicago’s lineup, which put up a season-high 11 hits in a 4-2 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.

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Along with Báez, third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo added solo shots in the first and the eighth inning, respectively, marking the first time the trio homered in the same game since Aug. 14, 2017. Those accounted for three of the Cubs’ 11 hits as the club put up a double-digit hit total for the first time this season.

It was the type of win that was common in the Theo Epstein era, with Chicago’s most important bats leading the way.

“You expect those to be three of the guys that contribute at a pretty high clip,” Cubs starter Jake Arrieta said. “I think it's just a testament to the competitive nature of the three of them. The skill level is high, and when the situation calls for it, guys like that step up to the plate and produce.”

The game was a nice change of pace from the struggles the lineup experienced in the six-game homestand to start the year. The Cubs’ .124 team batting average heading into Thursday was the second-worst mark through six games since 1900, with only the 2013 Pirates (.119) getting off to a worse start.

Bryant led Chicago’s regular starters with a .200 average. Báez was stuck at .136. Rizzo hadn’t had a hit since the second game of the season. They weren’t the only hitters who struggled to start the season, but as the stars of the team, their issues were prime examples of the club's slump.

The trio finally got things going, however, sparking the offense in Game 1 of the six-game road trip. Bryant, Báez and Rizzo each had two hits, with four other Cubs contributing at least one to the hit total.

“I thought we looked really good today, offensively, and it's nice to get the big boys going,” manager David Ross said. “When they have a good day, we've got a really good offense and a good chance to win that day.”

Arguably the most important start of Arrieta’s career came at PNC Park, when he helped the 97-win Cubs eliminate the 98-win Pirates in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game. Six seasons later, the 35-year-old Arrieta didn’t look as sharp in Pittsburgh on Thursday as he did on that day in '15. He allowed a baserunner in each of the first five frames -- including a runner on third in the second, third and fourth innings -- and went into the top of the sixth with the Pirates up, 2-1.

“I struggled to find the command with multiple pitches,” Arrieta said. “It was a battle from the get-go. Had to find a way to make pitches and get the job done.”

Arrieta grinded to get through the sixth, limiting the damage to just two runs. And luckily for him, his World Series teammates gave him the support he needed to get the win.

It was a throwback game led by stars from the old days, a game the Cubs sorely needed as they hope to wake up from a rough first week at the plate.

“We're having fun, even when we lose games,” Báez said. “Obviously, we're not trying to lose games, but we're giving everything we have, so at the end of the game, we try to stay together and be a family in the clubhouse.”