"Just like that, Kosuke Fukudome might be on his way back to becoming an every-day fixture in the Cubs' lineup.

And if manager Lou Piniella has his way, back to the No. 5 spot in the order.

Just one day after Piniella and hitting coach Gerald Perry had the Cubs' right fielder shorten his stride at the plate -- not to mention one day after a pinch homer into the wind -- Fukudome delivered a three-hit game that included a season-high four RBI for the rookie.

''He looked pretty impressive to me,'' Piniella said. ''He drove the ball. Hit hit hard. Hit it to all fields, too. ... He looks very 'hitterish' right now.

''When you're a good hitter, you can make adjustments quick. And we didn't really change anything except shorten the stride. So let him keep swinging. We could use his bat.''

Fukudome was hitting .145 in August before the quick sit-down with Piniella and Perry -- 4-for-5 with six RBI since.

''[Piniella] sure does have a keen eye for a lot of little things,'' Fukudome said through an interpreter.

He said he was able to work on the shortened stride in batting practice but that in the game, the change is still a work in progress.

''It's great that I have three hits today, but tomorrow is a different game, and it starts over,'' he said.

Piniella said he wants Fukudome to be consistent enough to return to the No. 5 spot, where he was the team's only every-day left-handed hitter the first half of the season.

''That's our objective,'' Piniella said. ''He keeps swinging the bat like that, that's where he'll be.''"