The Colorado Kid rose to the occasion.

Left-hander Kyle Freeland, a Denver native, pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings Thursday afternoon at Coors Field in the Rockies’ 1-0 home-opening victory over Washington.

“The butterflies were going for sure, and we’ve talked about how much this means to me, to be able to pitch in front of my home state and get a win. It means the world to me,” Freeland said.

He became the first Rockies pitcher to start three home openers and was the first Rockie since Jorge De La Rosa on April 9, 2010, to pitch at least six scoreless innings in the home opener. The victory marked the first time the Rockies won a 1-0 game at Coors since July 4, 2018, vs. San Francisco.

A sellout crowd of 48,230 saw the Thomas Jefferson High graduate keep the Nationals guessing in a game that took just 2 hours and 18 minutes. Freeland received a standing ovation when he left the mound and he tipped his cap to the crowd.

“He threw some really good pitches inside and choked off some swings,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.  “I really like the fact that a little bit deeper in the game he fell behind in some counts and came back and got them out. He was able to come back and throw strikes.”

Freeland scattered four hits, struck out five and walked two. He didn’t allow a Nationals runner to get past first base. He went in with a plan of attack and executed it to near perfection.

“I noticed on video, watching last night, that they are a swinging team and they are very aggressive — both inside and outside the zone,” Freeland said. “I would let them see pitches inside the zone and then expand the zone late in the count.”

Freeland is unscored upon over his first two games and has allowed just seven hits over 12 2/3 innings. He is the first pitcher in franchise history to toss at least six scoreless innings in each of his first two appearances of the season.

“This is the best start I’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s a long season, though, and we have a lot of starts to go.”

Colorado’s offense was quiet — nine hits, 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position — but it scored the only run it needed in the fifth. Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar reached on a double to right field when Lane Thomas lost the ball in the sun. Tovar scored on Kris Bryant’s single to left. Bryant (2-for-3 with a double) has a hit in all seven games to open the season.

Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray allowed one run on eight hits over six innings, walking one and striking out six.

“In that situation today, when you see both pitchers dueling and showing their stuff, you have to take advantage of the opportunities when you get them. Fortunately, I came through there,” said Bryant, who extended his hitting streak to seven games.

Black pulled Freeland after Jeimer Candelario whistled a base hit up the middle with two outs in the seventh. Freeland watched right-hander Justin Lawrence close out the inning.

Freeland received a huge boost from his defense, especially new left fielder Jurickson Profar. In the first inning, Profar made a leaping catch at the base of the wall to rob Candelario of a hit. In the second, Profar sprinted into shallow left-center and made a diving catch on Luis Garcia’s dying line drive for the final out of the inning. In the fifth, Profar made a sliding catch on Victor Robles’ blooper.

“It was incredible defense by Profar,” Freeland said. “He hasn’t played a ton of games here, so that was huge. He went Superman on that ball in the gap.”

Freeland also got an assist from catcher Elias Diaz, who threw out CJ Abrams attempting to steal second in the third inning.

Colorado native Pierce Johnson closed out the game for the second save of his career, the first coming last Friday at San Diego. Johnson pitched a spotless ninth, striking out two.

“The beauty of today was you are talking about a Colorado starter and a Colorado closer,” Black said. “Isn’t that cool?”

Highlights from home opening day at Coors Field

Profar web gems. Making his Rockies debut at Coors Field, left-fielder Jurickson Profar made a clutch catch in each of the first two innings. He made a textbook grab against the wall in the first inning, then snared a liner on a diving play in left-center in the second.

Bryant’s opening splash. Kris Bryant, the $182-million man, drove in the game’s only run with an RBI single in the fifth. It ended up being the game-winner.

Freeland doffs cap. Kyle Freeland, who on Thursday became the first Rockies pitcher to start three home openers, tossed 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball. For that he was greeted with a standing ovation as he walked off the mound in the seventh, doffing his cap.

Colorado natives. After Freeland’s stellar outing, it was up to another Colorado native to close the door. Pierce Johnson, a Faith Christian product, set down the Nationals with a one-two-three ninth, with two strikeouts.

— Kyle Newman, The Denver Post

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.