MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Cubs' second-half turnaround began with a home run.

That isn't a shock, considering the record number of long balls hit this season, but nonetheless, Addison Russell's game-winning blast in the ninth inning of the first game after the All-Star break had a big impact. For a team that struggled through an up-and-down first half, Russell’s shot against the Orioles set the tone for a second-half rise.

Thanks to their play in the two months since, the Cubs lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 4½ games as the teams play Game 2 of their four-game series at Miller Park on Friday. The standings are reversed from midseason, as the Cubs went into the break trailing by 5½ games.

How did the reversal happen?

In that game against the Orioles, the Cubs blew an 8-0 lead, and it was fair to wonder if the break did the world champions any good at all -- until Russell's home run cleared the Camden Yards wall.

At that time, the four days off seemed like a much-needed chance to start over, as very little the Cubs tried in the first half reminded anyone of what they did all of last season. They didn’t hit, field or pitch to their capabilities.

“It’s on us,” team president Theo Epstein said at the time. “We have to wear the way we played in the first half knowing we can be better.”

And then the Cubs were.

That first win snowballed into a six-game road winning streak, providing the Cubs the mojo that isn’t always identifiable. They started having fun again, coming up with new hand gestures to acknowledge their teammates when they reached base. And they began to pitch again.

A second consecutive short offseason ruined any chance that the Cubs would be ready to throw the ball in April or May. In fact, the Cubs were still in spring mode when it came to their pitching early on. So manager Joe Maddon bided his time until the arms came around.

“I always say it starts with pitching,” Maddon said. “We have to pitch better than good pitching.”

They did just that. The starting staff’s second-half ERA is down more than a full point, but it wasn’t a meeting or a change in strategy that made the difference. It was time that became the Cubs' friend -- and then a sense of urgency set in.

“We know we’re good,” Kris Bryant said. “It just has to show up. No one is panicking in here.”

But even their rise in the standings wasn’t a straight line. It felt more like one or two steps up the ladder, followed by one down -- mostly because of a maddening offense. Double-digit run-scoring days followed by a fight to score at all. But time was on their side, and even the offense started to give off a 2016 feel.

“We have to move the ball more,” Maddon often said during the inconsistent times.

He means contact -- making more contact in crucial situations was essential. In the first half, the Cubs were last in baseball at getting a runner home from third base with less than two outs, successful just 45 percent of the time. That has slowly changed, to the point that they score in that situation about half the time, which is about league average.

Depth played a role as well. Epstein built the Cubs so they would not fall apart with a handful of injuries or underachieving performances. When Russell went down with a foot ailment, Javier Baez stepped right in. When Jake Arrieta or Jon Lester went down, lefty Mike Montgomery and newcomer Jose Quintana picked up the slack. Slowly but surely, the Cubs made their move.

“Their mental energy is at a season high right now, and it’s fun to watch,” Maddon said during the seven-game win streak that ended Wednesday.

It’s said that teams can’t turn it on and off in baseball, but the Cubs might be the exception. A sleepy first half has turned into a dynamic march to the postseason, despite the rough patches. They’ll attempt to finish the job by putting away the upstart Brewers once and for all this weekend.

“Nothing is given to you,” Maddon said. “You have to take it.”

The Brewers are attempting to take what the Cubs own right now: the division title. The next few days might be Milwaukee’s last stand. The Cubs hope it’s a steppingstone to even bigger things to come.