It starts with 1: Story lifts first homer of '21

DENVER -- There was power in the 2021 All-Star Game patches affixed to Rockies shortstop Trevor Story’s cap and right uniform sleeve for Friday night’s game against the Phillies. Hey, any extra oomph helps.

Seven months is a long time between homers for someone hoping that the July 13 Midsummer Classic at Coors Field will be the third invite of his career. It was actually just 29 games and 110 at-bats in baseball time, but still a long drought.

Story clocked his first home run of 2021 in the fourth inning of the Rockies’ third straight victory -- won, 5-4, by Raimel Tapia’s one-out walk-off homer to right field off Héctor Neris.

It’s not like Story has been feeble, especially since the start of 2021. According to Statcast, a Major League-high eight balls off his bat were classified as “Mostly Gone,” or home runs in eight of the 29 other ballparks.

One of those was blocked by what, ironically, Story dubbed the “Bridich Barrier” -- a clear plastic extension of the wall in the left-field corner, which was part of general manager Jeff Bridich’s plan to make the park a little less homer-friendly. So it was redemption for Story when his towering drive to left off Phillies starter Vince Velasquez cleared the barrier and landed in a runway for field maintenance vehicles.

“Geez, man, it felt great,” Story told AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain in his postgame interview. “That was probably the least hard-hit ball that I’ve hit that I felt I should get paid out for, but that’s how it is, man. This is baseball.

“It’s a weird, crazy game. But I feel like if you keep putting the work in, you keep respecting the game and trusting your process, hopefully good things will turn out.”

Story’s overall drought in terms of games and at-bats was a career long, as was the 18 games to start a season.

Story also doubled during a 2-for-4 performance, and C.J. Cron and Garrett Hampson (to tie the game in the eighth) added their second home runs of the season.

The Rockies got six innings and eight strikeouts from starter Germán Márquez, who bobbed and weaved without fastball command but came up with clutch breaking balls, in addition to receiving nail-biting -- but clutch -- relief pitching.

Tapia’s third homer of the season -- which he celebrated with a bat flip, a slow walk toward first base, and finally a trot with his yellow-gold dreadlocks flowing in the night -- gave the Rockies their first victory in 10 games decided by two or fewer runs this season.

When it comes to relief, though, Story can be forgiven for feeling more than his share.

The overall numbers -- .286, .320 on-base percentage and eight RBIs -- are not bad considering the balls that could have been homers. His defense has been dependable. But power is Story’s calling card. He was the first shortstop in Major League history to begin his career with four seasons of 20 or more homers.

“It was big for him -- it was big for us because we’re pulling for Trev each and every at-bat, regardless of the situation,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Trev has hit for power. And when guys who have power -- who have hit for power in the past -- haven't homered yet after close to 60, 70 at-bats, it becomes a little frustrating.

“Trev exhaled after that one. Usually with Trev, when he hits one, the next one’s coming pretty soon and one’s coming after that, as well.”