SAN DIEGO -- With just days two days to go until Trevor Story’s Home Run Derby appearance, he is hoping the home crowd can give him an advantage over the rest of his competitors.

“Hopefully, the home crowd is gonna be behind me,” he said. “Doing it for the home club, that's pretty special. Hopefully ... I can have a nice little advantage.”

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Story said he has only taken one round of batting practice in the Derby format, which was to get a feel for the flow of the competition. His primary focus remains helping his ballclub win games.

But off the field, he has also sought advice from close friends, as well as from teammate and former Home Run Derby participant Charlie Blackmon, who competed in the event in 2017.

“Chuck's been my main source,” Story said. “I've talked to some people that I am close with throughout the game and just kind of picked their brains about it and what they thought, and I keep those close to the vest.”

Story will be matched up against Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo in the first round of Monday’s Derby, which will also feature Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, Nationals outfielder Juan Soto and defending 2019 Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso of the Mets.

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Story's approach for Monday’s competition: simplicity.

“I feel like I have a good feel for what is going to happen and just kind of the atmosphere around it,” Story said. “I'm gonna keep it simple, honestly, and just try to hit home runs to left, left-center and center field and really keep it as simple as that.”

Marquez’s ASG availability
The Rockies' lone All-Star representative, Germán Márquez, will be available to pitch in his home ballpark during this year's Midsummer Classic, Rockies manager Bud Black said on Saturday.

Márquez, who started on Saturday against the Padres, could even have the chance to getting the All-Star starting nod. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will be managing the National League All-Star squad in Denver, is the one who decides who gets that honor and remains undecided.

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Roberts told reporters on Saturday that Márquez, along with Walker Buehler of the Dodgers and Max Scherzer of the Nationals, are among the candidates he has considered to start on Tuesday.

Black said if Márquez is called on to pitch in any capacity in the ASG, he’ll be ready.

“I think it's a great honor to pitch in the All-Star Game and I think it's more special for Germán being a hometown player being able to pitch in his home ballpark in an All-Star Game,” Black during a pregame media conference on Saturday.