DENVER -- Ever want to go back to the days when you ran with directionless joy, feeling the grass beneath your feet, with your friends rushing to join you? Then live vicariously through Elias Díaz and the Rockies.

Díaz delivered a walk-off single Sunday afternoon in a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals at Coors Field. Then after reaching first base, he took off, arms held wide, zig-zagging through the outfield, as all his friends in purple played chase.

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Díaz never had a walk-off hit until his three-run homer beat the Cards on Thursday, but when he reached the plate he sprinted through the mob that greeted him.

But beyond Díaz’s policy of running from and through teammates during celebrations, what has the past week and a glorious Rockies weekend told us?

The Rockies can’t get intoxicated by the cheers of 36,891 Sunday, and a series that included two sellout crowds. With roster holes and the uncertainty surrounding the July 30 Trade Deadline, it’s not time to declare the kids OK.

But it was a 6-1 homestand, with the last four games spent dealing with the third baseman in the room. (In case you haven’t followed the Rockies since February, that reference is to Nolan Arenado, whose unhappiness with where the Rockies rank on the contender scale led to a to trade the Cardinals.)

Here are five takeaways:

1. It’s all about the starting pitching
Germán Márquez, the newly minted All-Star, fanned a season-high 11 and gave up only two runs, on a Harrison Bader homer, in six innings. Márquez, who carried a no-hitter into the ninth on Tuesday in his one-hitter against the Pirates, completed a homestand where the rotation posted a 1.57 ERA, held the Cardinals and Pirates to a .177 batting average, and struck out 37 against 10 walks.

A rotation that curiously has pitched better in its hitter-oriented park than on the road this year is starting to carry its act everywhere. In the past 12 games, including a five-game jaunt to Seattle and Milwaukee, Rockies starters carry a 1.56 ERA. The Rockies travel Tuesday to begin three-game sets at Arizona and San Diego.

2. Young relievers are getting their turn
Friday night saw rookie Justin Lawrence record two ninth-inning outs but blow a one-run lead in the 9-3, 10-inning loss to the Cards. But in the ninth on Sunday, Lawrence forced a double-play grounder by Yadier Molina to end the top of the ninth.

Additionally, rookie lefty Lucas Gilbreath replaced Márquez for a clean seventh with one strikeout. And righty Yency Almonte, not a rookie but not with a huge résumé, recovered from the six-run 10th on Friday with a scoreless, one-hit eighth on Sunday.

Indications are contending teams will come after some of the more-experienced relievers, such as closer Daniel Bard and setup man Mychal Givens, who should return from his back injury in time for the Arizona series. At times this year, the Rockies suffered with youth in the bullpen. But if learning turns to production like Sunday, it’s worthwhile.

“We told those guys before the game, this is an opportunity for you guys to contribute if this is a high-pressure, high-drama game,” said Black, who said Bard, the regular closer, and setup men Carlos Estévez, Jhoulys Chacín and Tyler Kinley were not available because of recent workload. “And those guys responded. Learning experience, again. I thought Gilbreath and Lawrence looked as composed as I've seen them all year.”

3. Infield in business
Arenado’s Cards, even at 41-44, have the established infield of a contender. The Rockies aren’t quite there. But the Rockies feel headed in the right direction -- especially after the weekend performances of Ryan McMahon and Brendan Rodgers.

McMahon played an aesthetic third base and climbed out of a slump by going 5-for-13 with three walks against three strikeouts in the series. Rodgers homered in the opener (although he was hitless in the final two games) while playing second base.

And Joshua Fuentes, who is better known as Arenado’s cousin but has made a name for himself with solid defense at both infield corners, peeked out from his recent rough offensive patch with a two-out ninth-inning single to set up Díaz’s winner.

4. Homers would help on the road
As anyone watching the team knows, the discrepancy between the Rockies’ 31-17 home record and the 6-31 road record can’t be escaped. While the homestand was successful, just three times did the Rockies score more than three runs in a game.

Díaz homered in four straight games and Trevor Story homered in the last two contests as the Rockies finished the homestand with eight homers. Given the park’s reputation and past production, that’s not a lot over seven games. Stringing together at-bats is the optimum way to win, but with the difference in atmosphere making hitting on the road more difficult, it would help to have the ability to get runs with one swing.

Colorado has hit only 22 homers on the road this year, compared with 59 at home.

5. If this is where the Story ends …
Story will have his name and potential address bandied about quite a bit leading to the Trade Deadline. But he has gone deep six times in his past 12 games. If this and the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Coors Field on July 11 are his goodbye, it’s a powerful ending.