Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong loves going back home to Los Angeles.

Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers was proof of that. The speedy outfielder had his best offensive performance of the season in the Cubs’ 4-2 win, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a triple, two runs scored and two RBI. They were the first two homers of the season for him.

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“I love playing here,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters after the win in Los Angeles. “There’s some sort of ease when your mom and your dad and a bunch of family and friends are here.”

“It’s a fun crowd and I like the noise. I think the Cubbies like playing here, too.”

Crow-Armstrong got the Cubs offense going with a solo home run in the third off Tyler Glasnow. He clobbered his second home run of the night in the seventh inning off Blake Treinen – a no-doubt shot to center field. The speedster blew a kiss to his parents in the stand after the second home run.

“I didn’t do it the first time, so since I remembered how to hit a homer, I made sure to acknowledge them,” Crow-Armstrong quipped.

It’s been a whirlwind two days for Crow-Armstrong. Saturday, it was reported that he and the Cubs had preliminary discussions with the team surrounding a contract extension that would have maxed out at $75 million, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

“The communication’s been really great throughout all levels of this conversation,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters, including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and the Sun-Times’ Maddie Lee. “But there’s been a general understanding and a general consensus that we’re not going to let it be a distraction throughout this year, because I’m here to play baseball.”

There were no signs of it being a disruption in his return to his hometown.

He was raised in Los Angeles and attended Harvard-Westlake High School, the powerhouse prep program that has produced other big leaguers such as Max Fried, Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty. Crow-Armstrong was 4-for-11 with a home-run robbing catch in the ninth inning of a game last season at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s just great coming home and just being here,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I know so well what it’s like sitting in the stands for these kind of games and watching [teammate and former Dodger Justin Turner], not to date him. But it’s always special coming back here.”

Crow-Armstrong’s offensive success is a welcome to the Cubs. He has been a solid contributor this season – he is tied for first among all defenders with four Outs Above Average (OAA) and has swiped six bags this season. But he entered Sunday’s contest hitting .197 with a .521 OPS and a 55 weighted runs-created plus (wRC+), 45 percentage points below league average.

It’s early enough in the season that a performance like Sunday boosted his numbers to a .229 average, .689 OPS and a 98 wRC+, just below league average (100). Crow-Armstrong is going to help the Cubs with his defense and speed, there’s no question about it. But if his bat can improve, it’s the type of success that can lift him from a 2-3 wins above replacement player (WAR) to a 5-plus WAR contributor who can be a difference-maker.

Stretches like the first 17 games of the season will happen and there may be days like Sunday again, too. That’s why he knows he has to stay within himself to take the next step in his development.

“I think I have a lot of help here,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Sometimes it’s hard to go through stretches like that. I got a lot of help. [Ian Happ] and Dansby [Swanson], a lot of guys, they’ve been in my ear the last couple of weeks.

“That definitely just gives you that little extra bit of conviction to go out there and just try and produce when you feel everybody backing you up.”