Charlie Blackmon arrived at PNC Park at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

The veteran was one of the first people at the Pirates’ stadium, and was already ready when his teammates walked in. The team was in desperate need of a win and an energy change after being shut out in both games of a doubleheader the day before. They were frustrated, angry and disappointed in themselves.

Blackmon, the unquestionable leader of the team, stepped up when they needed him the most. To get the team pumped for the last game of the series, Blackmon did something that Daniel Bard said could only be described by a picture or video and Kyle Freeland smirked about but would not elaborate on. Blackmon himself was mum on the topic, saying it was a locker room thing.

Whatever it was, it provided a spark for the slumping Rockies, and for Blackmon himself. On the back of Blackmon’s three-hit, two-RBIs performance, the Rockies snuck out a win over the Pirates 4-3 to avoid being swept.

“I did some things that I don’t normally do,” Blackmon said. “I felt like I need to do something to spark my team, spark myself and it worked.”

It was Blackmon who helped break the 17-inning scoreless streak in the fourth inning, hitting a triple to send Yonathan Daza home. In the top of the eighth, after Blackmon hit a double, CJ Cron walked with the bases loaded as the Rockies got a free run to get within one of the Pirates.

In the top of the ninth, with two outs, Blackmon’s double sent Ryan McMahon home to tie the game. Matt Adams hit an RBI single to give the Rockies the lead, and Bard pitched a quick inning to secure the win. It was the Rockies’ first lead in 45 innings.

Blackmon finally looked fully healthy after dealing with a mild groin strain earlier this month. He was moving well, and manager Bud Black said he thinks he’s past the injury now.

“His performance lifted the team,” Black said. “He set a great example from the time he walked in the doors this morning to the last out.”

One game at the end of a trip will not fix their road problems. But it was, at least, a micro step in the right direction.

“That was a really good win,” Black said. “I would characterize that as more than nice.”

Still, problems persist for the Rockies. They are 4-23 away from Coors Field, the worst start in franchise history and for any major league team since the Royals in 2006. The Rockies have been shut out 10 times on the road, another major league record for this time of the season.

On Sunday, the Pirates handed them chances in late innings, but the Rockies left 11 in scoring position and 12 on base.

Where do they go from here? As Black says often, they are a young team. Their plan is to continue teaching, and hope that the results will eventually follow. They tried adjusting batting practice, a small change that seems to not have made a big difference.

They have a much-needed day off Monday, then start a home stand. The Rockies have just over a week to come up with a new plan before they head back onto the road.

“This was frustrating up until the last couple innings,” Black said. “We kept fighting.”