Saturday afternoon against the Nationals was a good indicator of what the Rockies’ future could look like, if they take the necessary steps in the offseason.

It’s no secret what the missing pieces are — most notably an experienced bat and proven reliever. But for some reason, with the number of games left in the season quickly dwindling, the Rockies have finally started to figure things out.

On Saturday, the Rockies got six shutout innings from starter Kyle Freeland, who’s part of a rotation that is set for years to come, if they complete the Jon Gray extension. Brendan Rodgers provided a three-hit performance, falling a triple shy of the cycle. Their young prospects, Colton Welker and Ryan Vilade, who was called up earlier that day, each got valuable playing time.

And the Rockies came out with a win, beating the Nationals 6-0. They are 7-1 on this road trip. Until this 10-day excursion out east, the Rockies had not won more than four games on a trip.

“You kind of think back, and think ‘I wish we played like this earlier’,” Trevor Story said. “But, I don’t think we are going to live in the past. Obviously we wished we had performed better, but I think we are making strides now.”

Freeland struck out the side in the first, and ran into traffic throughout the game, giving up seven total hits, but each time got himself out of it. He allowed the bases to get loaded twice in the sixth inning, then turned in a 1-2-3 double-play ball, then later struck out Yadiel Hernandez to end the inning. Freeland struck out seven, earning his 500th career K and counting.

Freeland noticed that his two-seam fastball was particularly effective at sea level, and he leaned on that more than usual. Manager Bud Black is hoping other pitchers in the future can make similar decisions when playing on the road. 

“We need those type of players that understand that adjustment, and can handle it mentally and not let it affect the outcome of the game or performance,” Black said. “It’s real.”

But it’s the bats, not the starting pitching, that have been the biggest headache on the road. They spent the first four months of the season scraping their brains together, trying to find any solution for their lackluster performances. They have been shut out a franchise-record 14 times, including twice on one day in Pittsburgh on their last trip to this coast.

On Saturday, Rodgers continued his roll, hitting his third home run in the last four games. Whether he stays at second or moves back to his native shortstop next year is unknown, and dependent on whether his mentor Trevor Story is still on the team. But regardless of where he lines up on the infield, his progress this season at the plate has the team hopeful for the impact he can make for years to come.

As for their top prospects, neither Welker nor Vilade have a line in the box score. But right now, the most important thing for them is to gain experience. The Rockies opted to call both up in September, wanting to get all of the big league nerves out of the way now as opposed to when games actually count.

“I think it’s great, especially for our young guys that we are calling up,” Freeland said. “For them to see and understand that winning on the road is not easy, especially when you are playing a team that is in a playoff hunt, you need to be really locked into. If you are able to get a series win or a sweep, it’s very big.”