CINCINNATI -- Third baseman Eugenio Suárez was an emerging star for the Reds in 2018. This season, Suarez is showing signs he could be their main man as he repeatedly provides big hits. This week, he helped his team take down a first-place division rival.

During Cincinnati’s 4-2 victory over the Cubs that clinched the three-game series Thursday, Suarez had two hits -- one providing the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and the other driving in a key insurance run in the seventh. On Wednesday, he had three hits and three RBIs -- including a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning before the Reds took a 6-5 win in 10 innings.

• Box score

“It’s really nice,” Suarez said. “We don’t care who is in first place. We just play hard and try to win games. It doesn’t matter who is here. We have a really good team. Everybody knows that.”

Since May 1, Suarez has raised his batting average 49 points, from .221 to .270. Over his last seven games, he’s batting .452 (14-for-31) with three home runs, four two-hit games and two three-hit games.

Not coincidentally, the Reds have won five of their last seven games and have closed their deficit to 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Cubs in the National League Central. At 20-24 overall, they are three games behind fourth-place St. Louis. Through interpreter Julio Morillo, Reds starter Luis Castillo praised how important Suarez has been to the club.

“He’s doing things that sometimes I say, ‘Oh, my God, where did this guy come from?’ It’s not just hitting, but he’s playing really good defense. He’s doing everything,” said Castillo, who earned the win with two earned runs and two hits allowed over 5 1/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts. “I’m really glad he’s doing that, and he’s helping the team win.”

The game’s momentum shifted quickly in the Reds’ favor in the fifth inning as showers intensified at Great American Ball Park. In the bottom half, Cubs starter Jose Quintana’s once-smooth night unraveled in the rain when José Peraza hit his 2-0 pitch the other way for a one-out solo home run to right field. Castillo followed with a lined single into left field, and Joey Votto added a lined two-out single to center field.

Suarez was batting when Quintana threw back-to-back wild pitches, with the second one allowing Castillo to score. In a full count, Suarez provided the go-ahead run when he lined an RBI single to left field that scored Votto.

“I think the two wild pitches changed the game,” Quintana said. “It moved the runners, and it was a battle against Suarez. He hit a really good pitch in. I think that changed the whole game. Everything was clean before that.”

Castillo returned for the top of the sixth and faced one batter, Kyle Schwarber, getting him to line out to third base to retire his 14th in a row. The field had become messy by then, and the game was halted for 1 hour and 51 minutes.

When play resumed with Michael Lorenzen in relief of Castillo, a pair of two-out hits by the Cubs threatened Cincinnati’s one-run lead. Willson Contreras grounded sharply near the line well behind third base, where Suarez picked it clean and fired a one-hop laser to first base. Votto made a fabulous scoop to secure the third out.

In the seventh inning, against Cubs reliever Tyler Chatwood, Nick Senzel and Votto hit singles and Suarez rolled an RBI single hard through the left side to score another run.

“He’s playing with determination. He’s really responding,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He senses we’re playing well as a team, and he’s a big part of that. Offensively and defensively, he’s determined to do his part. When he plays like that, he’s as good as any player in the league.”

Suarez is tied for third in the NL in homers (13), eighth in RBIs (31) and 10th in OPS (.929). Last season, he earned a spot on his first All-Star team on his way to a career-high 34 homers and 104 RBIs. At his current pace, he would hit 47 homers in 2019.

“I just think about not putting pressure on myself,” Suarez said. “I know I can hit. I just do my best. I just try to calm down the pressure and, like I always say, see the ball. Hit the ball the other way and try just to see it as long as I can. Be comfortable at the plate and try to put a good swing on it.”