DENVER -- Shortstop Trevor Story reminded a Fireworks Night sold-out crowd at Coors Field on Saturday that he hasn’t gone anywhere.

Story’s three-run homer in the seventh inning broke a scoreless but delightful deadlock and lifted the Rockies to their fifth win in six games, 3-2, over the Cardinals.

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Story’s blast to deep left and his sneaky-cool flick-of-the-wrist bat flip, allowed him to revel in the appreciation of the fans -- who don’t know the half of how teammates feel about their shortstop.

“Guys, I don’t know if I would say look up to me, but confide in me,” Story said. “It’s something that is an honor. I kind of relish that. I’ve embraced that.

“When I was a young guy, veterans would look out for me.”

When the Rockies traded third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Cards in February, speculation turned to when a transitioning team would trade Story -- a free agent at season’s end who is in line for a payday beyond the Rockies’ spending power. But with the club wanting to hold Story until after the All-Star Game (and his participation in the Home Run Derby) at least, Story has kept his attention on leading the team.

It hasn’t always been easy. He entered the night hitting .251 on a season that saw him miss time with a right elbow injury. Story has made more than his share of hard contact, but at times to heartbreaking results, with balls driven to the wrong part of ballparks.

Story’s first-pitch drive off Génesis Cabrera for his 10th homer of the season served as a nice payoff for the Rockies, not to mention that it gave them a 3-0 lead. Story also had a stylish, behind-the-back tag on Harrison Bader, who tried to steal second when he was picked off first in the second inning.

“Trevor’s been waiting for that moment,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “I know he had a walk-off homer to straightaway center to win a game. I know that was a great swing. Today was a really good swing. He just missed it last night, that ball late in the game that Bader tracked down in deep left-center, the deepest part of the park. This one, he got.

“Trev takes a lot of responsibility for this team, and his place on the team. That was a moment that we’ll cherish this season, and I know it was important to him.”

Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland was in the training room, beginning his recovery from six scoreless, three-hit innings (it’s 17 innings with one run allowed over his last three starts) when Story went deep. The Rockies received a solid seventh from Jhoulys Chacín, had to sweat out the Cards’ two-run eighth and couldn’t celebrate until closer Daniel Bard fanned Dylan Carlson to end the ninth with runners at second and third.

“He was due for a big home run in a big spot, and he came through,” said Freeland, who had to overcome a sore right hamstring that forced him from his previous start. “Hats off to him for doing that and really giving us a ton of momentum to finish off this game.”

With the Trade Deadline coming July 30, it’s unclear how many more big moments like this Story will have with the Rockies. But if anyone is wondering, it’s on a long list of favorites.

“All homers in my book are, really, on the list,” Story said. “But ones like that -- ones that are late in the game with a lot on the line, or obviously the walk-offs, are always special.

“Maybe a little bit more special.”