After delivering in the clutch, Nico Hoerner let loose, unleashing a celebratory scream. His two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning had turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead, and it proved to be the game-winner.

“Definitely one of the bigger swings of the year for me, personally; it just felt like it was a moment to seize,” Hoerner said after the Cubs’ 4-3 victory Sunday over the Rays. “This group has done a lot throughout the year to put us in a strong place, and regardless of the standings, finishing with positive energy and excitement . . . is a big deal.”

Indeed, these Cubs would like to finish strong. A division title is seemingly out of reach, thanks to the Brewers’ second-half surge, but they’re in position to secure a wild-card spot and embark on the type of October run they’ve eyed for months.

To do that, however, the offense needs to be there.

It has been inconsistent since the All-Star break, a dramatic difference when compared to the first half, when the Cubs were one of the elite run-scoring teams in the majors.

Before the break, they ranked second in scoring and averaged 5.3 runs. They entered Sunday 27th in scoring in the second half and have a 4.1-runs-per-game mark after the win.

They’ve won back-to-back series, but the run-scoring questions aren’t going anywhere, not with the stars who carried the lineup in the first half absent, physically and in terms of their production.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has slumped miserably since the start of August, hitting .162 in his last 38 games, including an 0-for-12 showing in three games this weekend. Kyle Tucker had an extended slump of his own and is on the injured list with a strained calf. Seiya Suzuki has a .204 average since the break and missed this series with an illness.

Still, that hasn’t sunk the Cubs, who have one of the best records and showed this weekend that they can win without their big boppers.

“That’s the story of 162 for every team,” Hoerner said. “It’s rare you get to roll out the same perfect lineup. Obviously, the best version of us has a healthy Seiya and Tuck in there, there’s no hiding that. But it’s a true team effort, and we’ve done a nice job of that throughout the year.”

It’s worth wondering whether there will be enough offense to win in October if Crow-Armstrong, Tucker and Suzuki stay quiet. After combining for 67 homers in the first half, that trio only has 10 since the break.

But while the team’s pitching staff has played a huge part in keeping the wins coming, Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Michael Busch and Ian Happ, among others, have taken turns delivering.

“The first half, it felt like it was ‘The Tucker and Pete and Seiya Show,’ ” bench coach Ryan Flaherty said before the game. “In the second half, a lot of the unheralded guys have really kept this team [afloat] and put us in the position we’re in right now. That shouldn’t go unnoticed.”

It was Hoerner’s turn against Tampa Bay, and though he might be one of the “unheralded guys,” he also has been one of the best hitters in baseball by one measure, entering with a .297 batting average that ranked eighth in the majors and second in the National League.

It might be hard to stay “unheralded” if he wins a batting title.

But whether Hoerner ends up wearing that crown at season’s end, it’s going to take contributions from all over the lineup to deliver enough runs and enough wins to make the Cubs a postseason success.

“That’s what a team is,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s what good teams do. In baseball, it can’t be one guy. . . . You’re going to need everybody to do it.

“You just step up and find a way to win. And there’s nobody better than Nico and Dansby at figuring out things like that.”