ARLINGTON -- Trevor Story spent Monday night blasting away months of weirdness and frustration.

The season has been a slog from the February day that he left his Metroplex home until Monday, when he returned to where he grew up. All Story did was blast two home runs -- a solo shot to the second deck in left in the seventh off Josh Sborz, and a two-run blast to center in the eighth off Spencer Patton.

“For me it’s about taking care of it -- ending the at-bat when it should be ended,” said Story, whose home runs served as a bounce-back from two strikeouts against Rangers debuting starter A.J. Alexy. “I did that a couple of times tonight.

“It felt good, and it always feels good to be with the family, and friends.”

His hitting didn’t totally remove the frustration of the Rockies. Starter Germán Márquez’s otherwise serviceable night was made maddening by the three home runs he gave up, and the Rockies’ offense was mostly weak outside of Story in the 4-3 loss at Globe Life Field.

Story’s arrival for 2021 Spring Training was delayed by ice storms that caused much suffering in the Dallas area, where he grew up and still lives. The season has been a well-documented struggle on the field, and a confusing one off it with trade rumors that weren’t followed by an actual deal.

“It’s pretty hectic,” Story said Monday afternoon. “It started off pretty crazy, and for me it’s been a little inconsistent. That’s the best way to describe it. But I feel good about finishing strong. That’s what I’m focusing on.”

Story is batting .249 -- well below his usual numbers -- but improved his home run total to 18 in front of at least 30 family members and even more friends. Story also made one of his patented spinning throws on Adolis García’s grounder up the middle to open the sixth inning.

“It’s something me and my wife had circled on the calendar, and it’s here now,” said Story, who hit cleanup. “It’s great to see our family and be home for the next three days.”

This was the second time Story has played at Globe Life Field, which opened last year across the street where Story grew up watching the Rangers, though this is the first time he’s had a homecoming in this park. Last year, the Rockies opened the abbreviated season here, against the Rangers, but because of the pandemic, the stands were full of cardboard cutouts and Story couldn’t spend time with family because of protocols.

Story homered twice in the final game of that series, a 5-2 Rockies victory, which means he has two straight multi-homer games at Globe Life Field.

The first homer was such a no-doubter that Story instinctively did a smooth but triumphant bat flip and flashed an “I love you” sign to his supporters. The second one brought a fist pump as it helped the Rockies back into a game in which they ultimately came up short.

“You feel the special occasion of it all, being able to play in front of a lot of people I really love and care about that don’t get to see me play in person a lot,” he said.

The Rockies managed just one hit in five innings off Alexy, with hitters’ unfamiliarity with him clearly a problem. Márquez’s frustration was tied to the three mistakes in the strike zone -- to DJ Peters in the fourth inning, Leody Taveras in the fifth and Nick Solak for two runs in the sixth. He has an 8.84 ERA over his last four games, mainly because of breaking ball mistakes that get hit hard.

At least Story was able to make the Rangers’ new digs his personal playground.

Story said the state-of-the-art Rangers park reminds him of nearby AT&T Stadium, the palace where the Dallas Cowboys play football. No longer do fans swelter in the oppressive Texas heat and humidity. Story homered in the old ballpark for the Rockies in a 13-12 loss to the Rangers on a hot Father’s Day in 2018.

As has often been the case this year, Story is charged with putting a rough spell in the past while trying to put off visions of the future. Story had an 0-for-22 streak that he ended Sunday with a double in a 5-0 victory over the Dodgers.

“It’s like an NFL game or an NBA game -- tough first half for ‘Trev,’ and then here he comes charging back with two home runs,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “I’m very proud of him that he came back and put two very good swings on a couple pitches that he should drive -- which he did.

“We talk about this all the time … Will this have a carryover effect? I hope so, and I think so. Those swings were vintage ‘Trev.’”

And, of course, with free agency beckoning at the end of the regular season, it’s almost unavoidable that the hometown Rangers might be one of the teams pursuing him.

“I’m trying to be where my feet are at, honestly, trying to finish strong and let the offseason take care of itself,” he said before the game.

Asked directly if his feet could end up in Arlington next season, Story cracked a wry smile.

“They’re here in the offseason,” he said.