DENVER -- His bat was feeling a little heavy, so Joe Panik decided to choke up when the San Francisco Giants began a series at Coors Field on Monday.

The second baseman was looking for a pick-me-up in September. He ended up making franchise history Wednesday night for the Giants, who finally won a game at Coors Field when they walloped the Colorado Rockies 11-3.

Panik tied a career high with five hits Wednesday and went 12-for-15 to set a franchise record for the most hits in a three-game series. He surpassed Mike Benjamin, who had 11 hits in a 1995 series at the Chicago Cubs, and Hall of Famers Freddie Lindstrom, who had 11 hits in a three-game series in June 1928, and Bill Terry, who had 11 hits in a three-game series in June 1929.

"I was lucky and fortunate to have played (with) and managed Tony Gwynn," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He had some great series, but I don't recall him having a series like this. That's pretty amazing what Joe did."

Panik is the fourth major-leaguer to have 12 hits in a three-game series -- the first since Jerry Remy for the Boston Red Sox in 1981. No major league player has ever had 13 hits in a three-game series.

"Everything seems to go slow and it's allowing me to see the ball real well," Panik said. "It's a good feeling to be in. Every time up there, I feel I can be patient and take a strike, be aggressive and whack at the first pitch. I feel like I'm in control of the at-bat right now."

San Francisco's Gorkys Hernandez had three RBIs, and Panik drove in two runs. Austin Slater singled home two runs in the first, and Nick Hundley hit a 450-foot, two-run homer in the eighth.

It took exactly one year, but the Giants avoided more embarrassment in what has been a forgettable season. The Giants were 0-9 at Coors Field this season and had dropped 10 straight games in Denver since last winning there Sept. 6, 2016.

"It's good not to get skunked here," Bochy said. "I guess if you're going to win one, the last one is the way to go."

The Rockies, who concluded a 3-6 homestand, are two games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and 2 1/2 games up on the Milwaukee Brewers in the race for the second National League wild card.

The Rockies begin a challenging eight-game trip Thursday against the top teams in the NL West -- four games at Dodger Stadium and four at Arizona.

"It's important for us to play the way we have the whole year," Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "Not go out and be a hero, go out and play like a team."

Johnny Cueto (7-7) limited the Rockies to five hits and one run in five innings but needed 98 pitches to get that far. Cueto is 9-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 15 career starts against the Rockies and 5-2 with a 3.26 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field.

He was making his second start after missing 45 games with blister issues and a flexor tendon strain.

"He worked hard," Bochy said. "He logged some pitches. We got him where we thought we'd get him, around 90 (pitches) or in that area. It happened to be five innings. To be honest, I was hoping it might be six or seven. But good job, good command. Held them to one run. That's a good job in this ballpark."

Charlie Blackmon hit his 34th homer, in the seventh, after Giants pinch hitter Mac Williamson hit a homer in the top of the inning off Jeff Hoffman, who gave up two runs in the sixth on Panik's double and Brandon Crawford's bloop single.

Hoffman relieved starter Kyle Freeland (11-10), who allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Freeland walked two and struck out four. It was the shortest start of his career, excluding Aug. 4 when a first-inning injury forced him out of the game.

But the story was Panik, who went 5-for-6. He raised his average 18 points in the series to .285.

"At this time of the year, you're always going up two (points), down two," Panik said. "To make that type of move, it's pretty incredible."

NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey, who was hit on the fourth finger of his right hand with a foul tip Tuesday, didn't play. The Giants hope he can play first base or designated hitter on Friday at the Chicago White Sox. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu extended his season-high hitting streak to 14 games. ... 3B Pablo Sandoval took a third strike pinch-hitting in the sixth and is 0-for-38, the longest hitless streak by a Giants position player since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. ... Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez batted third for the first time since June 11. He went 2-for-2 with a walk. ... RHP Jeff Hoffman will likely make his first start for the Rockies since Aug. 17 on Sunday at the Los Angeles Dodgers when the fifth starter's turn arises. He gave up three runs in two innings Wednesday. ... Rockies OF Raimel Tapia will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.