In the Rockies’ 1-0 win over the Nationals in Thursday’s home opener, Kyle Freeland got the win and Kris Bryant had the game-winning RBI. But it was Jurickson Profar’s glove that saved the day.

Profar, making his first start for Colorado at Coors Field, perfectly played a deep fly ball to left in the first inning, jumping up and snagging Jeimer Candelario’s fly ball at the yellow line along the top of the fence. Then, Profar made a diving play in the left-center gap to end the second inning and bring the Coors Field crowd to its feet. Those plays loomed large in the wake of only the 12th 1-0 game in Denver in franchise history.

“Profar made plays today and that was a critical part of today’s (win),” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It came in different moments, but all moments count.”

The catch in the first inning, which came with a runner on first base, might have resulted in a run scored if Profar misplayed the ball and it careened off the fence. The web gem in the second inning drew praise from Freeland.

“He went Superman on it, and that was awesome,” Freeland said.

Profar previously made 14 starts at Coors Field as a member of the Padres, and said he felt comfortable in the wide expanse of the Coors Field outfield.

“I’m happy to help the team on defense today to get the W,” Profar said.

Power play. The Rockies failed to hit a home run Thursday but Black is hopeful that long balls will be more a part of the offense at Coors Field. It had better be. Last season, the Rockies hit just 98 home runs at Coors, tied for the 20th-fewest in franchise history.

“We have some potential power hitters, especially when (outfielder Randal) Grichuk comes back from (injury),” Black said.

Black believes that the Rockies can get home runs from Kris Bryant, Elehuris Montero, Charlie Blackmon, C.J. Cron, Ryan McMahon and Elias Diaz.

Advantage pitchers. Black said that Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock will benefit pitchers the most, at least in the early going.

“Right now, I think the pitcher probably has a little bit of an edge,” Black said. “I think hitters are still getting used to the time on the pitch clock where they have to be ‘alert to the pitcher.’ For a lot of hitters, it’s a little quicker than what they’re used to.

“For the most part, pitchers set the tone and I think that most of the pitchers that I’ve seen look pretty comfortable. Hitters, on the other hand, it’s going to take a little bit more time to catch up.”

Coors memories. Left-handed reliever Ty Blach, a Colorado native who graduated from Regis Jesuit High, was 4 years old when the Rockies opened Coors Field on April 26, 1995. Dante Bichette won the game with a walk-off homer in the 14th inning on a bitterly cold day.

Blach, however, was back home by the time Bichette hit his heroic homer.

“I went home after about the eighth inning because my feet were so cold that we had to buy Dinger socks from the team store,” Blach said, referring to the team’s purple dinosaur mascot. “Those were my favorite socks ever.”

Pitching Matchup

Nationals LHP Mackenzie Gore (1-0, 1.69) at Rockies RHP Jose Urena (0-1, 15.43)
6:40 p.m. Friday, Coors Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Urena turned in a dud in his 2023 season debut, getting hit for four runs in 2 1/3 innings in a loss at San Diego. His command wasn’t sharp as he walked four and had no strikeouts. Colorado needs more from Urena in the third slot in the rotation, especially if German Marquez and Kyle Freeland continue to pitch well. Meanwhile, Gore turned in five-plus innings of one-run ball in his season debut and allowed eight runs with three home runs in four innings in his one career start at Coors Field.

Pitching probables

• Saturday: Nationals RHP Trevor Williams (0-0, 5.40) at Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-1, 4.50), 6:10 p.m., ATTRM
• Sunday: Nationals RHP Chad Kuhl (0-0, 7.20) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 9.64), 1:10 p.m., ATTRM

— Kyle Newman, The Denver Post

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