It’s hard not to look at Brendan Rodgers’ season and wonder what it would have been like if he could wipe April off the calendar.

Rodgers ended the first month for the Colorado Rockies season with a .078 batting average, down in the dumps and searching for answers anywhere he could find them. He was beat up, with a bad back and lingering soreness. But he found a refuge, switching to dimple balls so he can take his reps without the sting of repeated contact and using a ground ball machine to get in work without the wear on his legs.

A flip switched on May 1. And he hasn’t turned it off.

On Thursday, Rodgers came up clutch once again. He hit a three-run home run in the seventh, giving the Rockies a five run lead. Colorado held on, beating the Cardinals 8-6 to win the series against St. Louis and former Colorado star Nolan Arenado.

“One big swing gave us three runs,” manager Bud Black said of Rodgers’ homer. “He’s growing before our eyes.

... He continues to improve in all areas.”

Rodgers has continued to improve since May 1 and he could possibly move his batting average above .300 before the season is over. He has 10 hits over his last four games, climbing his average to .288. Rodgers has moved to the middle of the batting order, spots reserved for the team’s best hitters.

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Rodgers said. “That’s something I’ve been riding out the rest of this year. I’m going to hopefully continue it.”

Rodgers didn’t do it alone on Thursday. Pitcher Germán Márquez put together six stellar innings, giving up two runs. He put runners on base in the sixth, but struck out the last two batters, even pulling out a 99.6 mph fastball for his 100th pitch of the game.

The Rockies entered the seventh tied at 2. A Charlie Blackmon RBI single drove in one run, and José Iglesias did the same. Rodgers homer — which went 102.7 mph off the bat and traveled 407 feet into the left field stands — gave Colorado much-needed insurance. Ryan McMahon added a home run of his own, pushing the run total to eight.

“To put those at-bats together, against a bullpen that has been performing, that was good,” Black said. “That was big for us.”

The Cardinals made it interesting at the end, but Daniel Bard came up with a big strikeout against Arenado to end the game.

Daza exits with injury

Centerfielder Yonathan Daza made a spectacular catch, but it may end up costing him significant time. He hurt his shoulder on the play, grasping the area immediately after making the grab. His shoulder popped out, and he put it back in himself as he waited for a trainer. Daza was diagnosed with a shoulder sprain and will undergo further tests.

Daza, the Rockies’ best defensive outfielder, is batting .290 with 24 RBIs.