DENVER -- One day this spring, Rockies veteran Chris Owings, then a non-roster invitee, used a story about golf great Tiger Woods to explain what it’s like competing for playing time while still keeping things amicable with teammates.

“It was just dead-force focus … [now] Tiger has changed his mindset -- he's not buddy-buddy with these guys, but everybody has been his friend and he loves playing with them,” Owings said. “I love talking baseball, talking hitting.

“Whether it is somebody coming up to me and asking questions about versatility -- how do I go from playing outfield to second or outfield to short? It’s not tough to do that, but trying to win a position or win a job is, you know, definitely the goal. It was a tough balance.”

Owings, 29, a former mainstay with the D-backs and bit player with the Royals and Red Sox, showed what he had been telling during Thursday afternoon’s 8-5 Opening Day victory over the defending World Series champion Dodgers. Owings’ performance highlighted a long-awaited sunny afternoon at Coors Field, which couldn’t be sold out due to COVID-19 protocols but featured a sizable crowd of 20,570 appreciative spectators looking to brighter days.

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Owings, who played six positions in his 17 games with the Rockies before a hamstring injury felled him for the rest of the year, started at second base. It was Owings’ eighth Opening Day and sixth start, and he felt the excitement all over again when he learned about his assignment Wednesday after a team workout.

“It's crazy when you walk down the tunnel here at Coors -- there's an Opening Day lineup for every season they've had a team,” Owings said. “Your name is on there, so it definitely is an honor.”

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Thursday’s Opening Day start even surpassed 2017 with the D-backs, when his RBI single off Mark Melancon provided Arizona with a 6-5 win.

Owings tripled in the third off Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ lefty of undisputed grandeur, to start a three-hit, three-run, one-walk, two-steal offensive performance that also included a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth. Owings also had a sliding, backhanded stop of an Austin Barnes grounder, before flipping to shortstop Trevor Story (who was helped by a nice C.J. Cron scoop) for a stylish seventh-inning double play.

“‘C.O.’ is a really good person, first and foremost,” Story said of Owings. “You always root for guys like that. He puts in the work. Last year was a really tough year for him, injury-wise. He brought those same values. He’s a good player. He can defend. He can hit. He’s pretty talented.”

Owings’ opposite-way triple off the out-of-town scoreboard in right allowed the Rockies to take advantage of an Opening Day happening even stranger than Kershaw giving up six runs, five earned, in 5 2/3 innings. (Over his eight previous openers, Kershaw had a 1.05 ERA.)

In the top of the third, Rockies left fielder Raimel Tapia reached above the fence to grab Cody Bellinger’s deep drive off starter Germán Márquez, but when Tapia’s arm hit the ball, it popped out and went into the stands. However, Justin Turner, the runner at first base, thought Tapia had made the catch and backtracked, passing Bellinger. By rule, Bellinger was called out, and Turner was allowed to circle the bases for a 1-0 lead.

Owings and the Rockies responded immediately in the bottom of the frame. He lofted Kershaw’s 1-2 pitch to right for the triple, then scored on Garrett Hampson’s squeeze bunt to tie the game at 1 before Josh Fuentes' single provided a 2-1 lead. The Dodgers would tie it in the fifth and again in the sixth, but never grab another lead. Owings' clutch single in the bottom half of the sixth put Colorado up for good.

“[Kershaw is] going to be aggressive,” Owings said. “He throws strikes and he's not going to walk guys. You have to match his competitiveness. Our guys were ready to hit.”

Starting Owings at second and Fuentes at third meant Ryan McMahon, whose power potential makes him an important figure, opened 2021 in the dugout. The lineup decision was part of a righty-heavy approach. Some historical numbers backed manager Bud Black’s choice: Owings entered with a respectable 8-for-33 with three doubles and a triple against Kershaw. McMahon had never faced Kershaw, though he has 15 homers in 240 at-bats against lefty pitchers.

Owings’ swing has been rekindled since being reunited with hitting coach Dave Magadan, who worked with him with the D-backs a few years ago. If Owings can produce consistently -- and some passes in Spring Training suggested a swing with staying power -- he can contribute even after rookie second baseman Brendan Rodgers returns from his Spring Training hamstring injury.

“He’s got talent -- I’ve seen it firsthand from the other dugout,” Black said. “Getting to know him, he’s going to be a contributor. He’s going to help us win. He’s in a good spot in his career.

“Over the long haul, you're going to need all your players to perform. And it helps when you have a short bench [due to carrying an extra reliever] to be versatile. Guys like Owings, McMahon, Hampson, Fuentes, we can move these guys around and feel very comfortable defensively, no matter where they play.”

Owings, one of many who will have their chance on a roster of versatile players, embraced his opportunity Thursday.