DENVER -- Trevor Story’s final long stride hit the plate on Charlie Blackmon’s walk-off single for an 8-7 victory over the Padres on Wednesday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep at Coors Field. While the dugout dashed infieldward to celebrate Blackmon, Story flipped off his helmet, smiled and enjoyed the moment as he jogged in front of the dugout.

No, Story and the Rockies aren’t going to apologize for being one of baseball’s best home teams (23-14) and vanquishing one of baseball’s “it” teams while improving their Coors record. No use looking for the bogeyman (their 5-27 road record). Colorado can enjoy its successful past three days, with a four-game weekend series with the Brewers on deck.

“We definitely don’t feel bad about it, I promise you that,” said Story, who doubled twice, achieved his 400th career RBI and walked and stole second in the ninth to set up the walk-off. “Wins are tough to come by in this league. It’s a hard league. Anytime you come about them -- pretty, ugly, at home or on the road -- it doesn’t matter. We certainly enjoy every one of them.”

The Rockies won a 3-2 pitchers' duel on Monday, which has become their common way to win at home. Then they took two old-fashioned Coors games, 8-4 on Tuesday after overcoming a 4-0 deficit, and a festival of early runs and relief pitching that led to an exciting finish on Wednesday.

What did we learn about the Rockies this week? Here are five things:

1. Raimel Tapia can hit, anywhere
Tapia extended his career-best hit streak to 13 games with three more hits. Included were two doubles to give him 12 during the streak -- the most doubles in any 13-game period in club history. Even during the last road trip, when the team was 1-5, Tapia went 9-for-22 (.409).

Wednesday, though, illustrated why Coors is a good place for Tapia. He grabbed a hustle double to left when he beat Tommy Pham’s throw in the first, powered another two-bagger off the wall in right-center in the fourth and poked a single down the unprotected third-base line in the sixth.

“Since he's here at Coors Field, and the vastness of the outfield and where certain teams play him, when he rips a ball down the third-base line, he’s thinking to run out of the box,” manager Bud Black said. “And he's learned [to] cut the bag at first proper way to have a good running angle. And he runs hard out of the box thinking two, all the way.”

2. Story is getting right
After missing 11 games, Story went 1-for-14 in Miami and Cincinnati with seven strikeouts. But after going 1-for-2 with a double and two walks Tuesday, he put two doubles down the right-field line and drew the key walk on Wednesday -- all good signs. It means he’s deciphering a ball from a strike on the outer part of the plate. The next step is destroying pitches middle-in.

“More than anything, it’s just controlling the strike zone, and I feel I did a good job of that this series,” said Story.

3. The Rockies need to go under the hood with Kyle Freeland
Rockies starters entered Wednesday with a 2.67 ERA in their previous 16 starts. But in just 3 2/3 innings, Freeland gave up five runs on nine hits, including home runs by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Trent Grisham. The lefty starter carries a 9.58 ERA in five starts, after missing the first seven weeks of the season with a left shoulder strain.

With Freeland's slider and changeup -- both quality pitches when he’s going well -- whether the pitch will land in the strike zone often is apparent when the ball leaves his hand. That eliminates guesswork and stress for the hitter.

Freeland said some pitches feel good and go as directed. Others don’t. It’s reminiscent of early-season Germán Márquez, when he, Black and the coaches spotted inconsistent timing of his delivery. Practicing while timed with a stopwatch corrected him.

So far, the root of Freeland’s problem is elusive.

“If I knew, I would make the adjustment in-game and in my side sessions between starts,” Freeland said. “I’ve just got to keep trying to find the proper release point, proper grip, proper turnover on pitches.”

4. Resumes are being built
Yonathan Daza spelled Blackmon in right, had his second straight game of impactful offense (hit, RBI, run scored) and threw out Manny Machado at the plate to prevent a fourth-inning run. Garrett Hampson was 0-for-4 Wednesday but had a key pinch-hit triple Tuesday night. Second baseman Brendan Rodgers added an RBI single, although his error in the ninth led to an unearned run that tied the game. Catcher Elias Díaz homered on a three-hit day to improve his average to .165.

All are lesser service-time players who are being fed playing time to see how they fit in the future.

The Padres series was also good for a veteran trying to carve a future role. C.J. Cron homered the opposite way on Monday, his first homer since May 4, and pulled a two-run shot Wednesday. Cron has seven homers on the season.

5. Bullpen is stabilizing
Carlos Estévez, solid for most of the season, put the game in danger by walking Pham and Tatis to open the ninth, but overall it was a solid bullpen day (and even Estévez didn’t get charged with an earned run).

Yency Almonte overcame a shaky beginning (walk, hit) for 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Robert Stephenson overcame Jake Cronenworth’s leadoff homer in the sixth with two strikeouts. Those two hurlers are trying to earn greater roles.

But it was a big afternoon for righty Tyler Kinley, awarded the day’s MVP chain by teammates for his two clean innings that brought a high-scoring contest under control.

“That was an underrated part of the game,” Black said. “We've seen in recent outings a little bit more consistent strike-throwing, a little bit more consistently ahead in the count.”

Overall, the Rockies needed multiple relievers to step up, with closer Daniel Bard not available after saves in the first two games and Black staying away from Mychal Givens, who had two key strikeouts Tuesday night.