SAN FRANCISCO -- The Rockies have defied some expectations this season. They have pitching. They have a strong position player core. It’s just a matter of putting it all together.

The same can be said for Ryan McMahon, who is in the midst of a particularly strong stretch of his campaign.

In 34 games from June 26 through Thursday, the 26-year-old infielder slashed .302/.417/.422, with 20 walks in that span -- nearly half of the 41 he has accumulated over the course of the season.

Among the adjustments that have contributed to his high on-base percentage recently? Controlling the strike zone better, chasing fewer pitches and waiting on good offerings. His power numbers are down a tad, as he had just 10 extra-base hits in that time, but he has been reaching base consistently.

“He's been a little bit more patient. I think Mac has always had a pretty good eye at the plate,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “His strike zone discipline has been something that has been an advantage for him in his on-base percentage.”

Said McMahon: “I haven’t done anything different. [I’m] just trying to focus more during at-bats and things like that and just really grinding them out, trying to be a hard out.”

It’s making a difference for the team, too. In McMahon’s 34-game span, Colorado went 18-16.

The Rockies are playing more for the future than for today, but they have the right pieces to be successful. That’s the mindset that McMahon and his teammates are carrying with them.

Since his 2017 debut, McMahon has often been a streaky hitter. During the first nine games of the hit streak he extended to 10 during Friday night’s game against the Giants -- which matched his career high -- he marginally reduced his strikeout rate.

“That fluctuates. I hate to say it, it’s so cliché, but that’s just the game of baseball,” McMahon said. “You go through these periods where you strike out a bunch and you go through these periods where you don’t. I mean, I never want to strike out; I think that goes with trying to be a hard out.

“I’m just trying to work on having a better two-strike approach, not giving in and not trying to pull balls when I get to two strikes.”