Brendan Rodgers stood at the plate for an extra moment and watched his three-run homer sail deep into the left-field bleachers.
Why not? The Rockies deserved to strut their stuff on a hot Thursday afternoon at Coors Field.
Powered by their six-run seventh inning and a solid start by right-hander German Marquez, they held on to beat the Cardinals, 8-6, to clinch the three-game series.
The Cardinals, in a dogfight with Milwaukee for the National League Central title, came to Colorado riding a seven-game winning streak but were bludgeoned by Rockies hitters in Games 1 and 3.