MILWAUKEE _ Cubs President Theo Epstein knows it's unrealistic to expect Ben Zobrist to carry the offense or play every day.
But after two games, Zobrist's performance has provided an infectious zest to the lineup.
Zobrist reached base in all five plate appearances and scored three times Thursday night to spark the Cubs to a 10-5 victory over the Brewers before 31,007 fans at Miller Park.
Zobrist, who returned Tuesday after missing nearly four months to address a family matter, has reached safely in seven of nine plate appearances since rejoining the Cubs. With Zobrist out of the lineup from May 7 to Sept. 2, Cubs leadoff hitters batted .189 with a .270 on-base percentage _ last in the majors in both categories.
With Zobrist back in the lineup, the Cubs have scored 16 runs in two games.
A leadoff walk by Zobrist set up an RBI double in the first by Willson Contreras, who also hit his second home run in as many games in the third. Contreras, showing no effects from a right hamstring strain that sidelined him for a month, finished with four hits.
Zobrist led off the fifth with a walk that set up a two-run double by Anthony Rizzo. And Zobrist singled in the sixth, preceding a sacrifice fly by Rizzo and a grand slam by Kyle Schwarber.
"If we manage it and don't ask (Zobrist) to do too much, he can help us," Epstein said before the game. "And just being around, he's got a great process with his preparation, his calm professional demeanor and understands the importance of grinding his at-bats and forcing pitchers in the strike zone, which is big for us.
"I think he's already helped a bit. And we look forward to seeing more ways he can contribute."
Schwarber's grand slam was his second of the season and third of his career. He became the first Cub to hit two grand slams in a season at the same road park since Sammy Sosa in 1998 in Arizona, according to Christopher Kamka of NBC Sports Chicago.
Schwarber is 14 for 31 with four doubles, five home runs and 14 RBIs in his last 10 games.
The Cubs' nine grand slams tie a franchise high set in 1929.
Jason Heyward snapped an 0-for-31 slump with a single in the seventh.
The Cubs (76-63) were aware they needed to win to maintain their 2 {-game deficit in the National League Central behind the Cardinals, who humbled the Giants 10-0 earlier Thursday.
They leaned on the past success of Jose Quintana, who entered Thursday's game with an 8-4 record and 2.65 ERA in 16 career starts against the Brewers and was 8-1 with a 3.08 ERA in his last 11 starts since June 29.
But Quintana lost a 1-0 lead when Hernan Perez hit a hanging curve for a two-run home run in the second, and he blew a 4-2 lead in the fifth when Lorenzo Cain led off with a single and Yasmani Grandal followed with a game-tying homer.
Quintana worked out of a jam in the second that started when Kris Bryant mishandled a hard grounder by Brewers pitcher Chase Anderson for an error, and he stranded Orlando Arcia at second base after shortstop Addison Russell committed a throwing error with one out in the fourth.
But that extra work took its toll, as Quintana was lifted for pinch hitter David Bote in the sixth.
Reliever Matt Albers broke Bote's bat, but Bote was able to reach on an infield hit to start a five-run sixth that enabled Quintana (13-8) to win for the ninth time in 10 decisions.
Bote, promoted from Triple-A Iowa earlier Thursday, hit a solo home run in the ninth.
