Think tank: Will Cubs ever get Yu Darvish out of his own head?

The Cubs will take the feel-good vibe of a 10-1 surge into their weekend showdown against the Brewers for first place in the National League Central.

But almost lost in the afterglow of their 4-1 victory Thursday against a bad Marlins team was the $126 million enigma that was gone before the fifth inning — and that the Cubs might need to solve soon if they plan to remain serious contenders into the fall in a stronger NL and a deeper NL Central.

‘‘I don’t have any solid answers,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘He’s healthy. The ball’s coming out of the hand really well. We’ve just got to be more consistent in the zone. It’s not that complicated.’’

If that sounds like Maddon talking last season about Tyler Chatwood, then that might be the most troubling sign yet when it comes to what has become of Yu Darvish, the big-ticket right-hander Maddon was trying to decipher.

Darvish, a four-time All-Star who had the worst season of his career in 2018 for the Cubs, is performing worse — believe it or not — since returning healthy this season from elbow issues.

His stuff is sharp, and he appears strong. On Thursday, he struck out seven and allowed only one hit in a 97-pitch start.

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On the other hand, he seems to have little rhythm and admits he thinks too much. He walked six for the second time this season and couldn’t get past four innings because of his pitch count.

‘‘I contend that if we could just get him to turn this off a little bit,’’ Maddon said, pointing to his head, ‘‘and just go play, you’re going to see a great result.’’

That has been a theme for almost every start Darvish has made this season. Another theme has been that the next start might be the one that sets him free.

Until then, Darvish leads the majors in walks (33) and, through the same number of starts he had before being shut down last season, has fewer innings pitched, an ERA (5.40) nearly a half-point higher, only one six-inning start and a higher WHIP. And the Cubs’ record is a game worse when he starts than it was last season.

‘‘Last outing was more frustrating than today,’’ Darvish said. ‘‘Today I was getting more strikeouts. My mind was good, too.’’

Thinking less and getting what Maddon calls more ‘‘visceral’’ has been a focus in recent starts, and Darvish said he was better.

‘‘Until last outing, I was thinking too much [that] I have to throw strikes,’’ he said. ‘‘Today I was focusing more on

attacking hitters, but my command was off. That’s it.’’

A Marlins team that hadn’t drawn a walk in either of the last two games drew six in four innings against Darvish, the most for him since his career-high seven in his first start of the season. Before this season, the last time he walked six in a game was in 2013.

‘‘I’m a thinker for my almost 15-year career, but absolutely it’s too much, ’’ Darvish said. ‘‘I want to be better, so that’s my challenge.’’

How he meets it the rest of the way might be a critical factor for a team about to start a two-month schedule that looks much tougher than its opening six weeks.

If Darvish can’t turn things around soon, it’s not a reach to think he might go the way of Chatwood a year ago — into the bullpen at least temporarily, with left-hander Mike Montgomery filling his starting role.

Montgomery took over in the fifth and finished the game with five scoreless innings in his first appearance since returning from a lat injury.

Maddon said that’s not part of the plan — yet.

‘‘We’ve just got to keep putting [Darvish] out there,’’ he said. ‘‘I mean, physically, it’s all good. It’s frustrating for him, of course, and we’ve got to just keep working.’’