PHOENIX – Before the Cincinnati Reds put the finishing touches on a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, new manager A.J. Hinch had a fireside-like chat with reporters in the Arizona dugout.

He said things such as his team needs to “get back to the simpler things” and “rekindle a sense of spirit” and finally, remember to “take a deep breath” and “have some fun.”

Winning, not words, is the only thing that can save the spiraling Diamondbacks, who got clobbered 10-3 Wednesday night in front of 20,443 fans.

Arizona has lost three in a row, fallen to 1-5 under Hinch and dropped 10 of its first 12 series to open the season.

It’s not getting better. It’s getting worse.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto improved to 4-1 by limiting the Diamondbacks to three runs on four hits in seven innings, as Cincinnati outscored Arizona 26-9 in the series.

“It’s hard,” Hinch said. “They outhit us, ran the bases better and played better defense. They just stuck it to us.

“But there’s no magic potion here. I think we’ve got to find a way to have a little more fun and get that boyish spirit back. . . . (Without it) it can create a negative momentum if you’re not careful.”

The Diamondbacks brought up two prospects from Double-A Mobile to make their major-league debuts.

Pitcher Bryan Augenstein, who was 5-0 with a 0.78 ERA for the BayBears, had an electric start by easily retiring the first three hitters he faced. But after the first time through the order, the Reds settled in against him and the right-hander left after 6 1/3 innings, having allowed five earned runs and eight hits.

“This was an amazing feeling and a great opportunity for me,” said Augenstein, who will remain in the rotation indefinitely.

Gerardo Parra, who was hitting .361 for Mobile, started in center field for the slumping Chris Young and smacked a home run in his first at-bat, hitting in the No. 2 spot.

Parra became the 100th player in major-league history to homer in his first career at-bat. He is the second player to do so this season – the other was Atlanta’s Jordan Schafer on April 5 against Philadelphia. And he’s the second Diamondbacks player to do it – the other being Alex Cabrera on June 26, 2000, against Houston.

Parra didn’t get another hit the rest of the night, however, and the 1-0 lead he gave his teammates didn’t last long.

The Reds scored three times in the third inning, getting a two-run double to right by second baseman Brandon Phillips and an RBI single to right by first baseman Ramon Hernandez.

Cincinnati's Jerry Hairston Jr. (top) gets tangled up with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Eric Byrnes after Byrnes was tagged out trying to stretch a single into a double on Monday in Phoenix.

PHOENIX – There were only 17,640 people in attendance for Monday night’s game between the Diamondbacks and the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

The smallest crowd of the season sounded twice as large as that, however, based on the loudness of all the boos directed at the Diamondbacks during their lethargic 13-5 loss.

It was bad enough the Reds were hammering on them all night, but to hear it from their own fans made it doubly worse.

The Diamondbacks were victimized for season highs in hits (18) and runs.

To be fair, there were a few bright spots:

• Right fielder Justin Upton extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a two-run home run in the second inning off Bronson Arroyo.

• Left fielder Eric Byrnes continued his torrid homestand, collecting three more hits Monday to make him 9 for 15 in his last four games since snapping a 0 for 17 skid.

• And second baseman Felipe Lopez came up a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

But there was little else to get excited about, unless you were rooting for Cincinnati or got excited about Diamondbacks utility player Josh Wilson getting the chance to pitch in the ninth inning.

For the record, Wilson pitched a hitless and scoreless inning, becoming the fifth position player in club history to make a pitching performance.

Reds center fielder Willy Taveras tied his career high with five hits; he also scored four times. Meanwhile, the Reds also got three hits and three runs scored from third baseman Adam Rosales.

“They brought their bats,” Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said.

Bronson Arroyo (5-2) got the win, pitching seven innings. Diamondbacks starter Jon Garland (3-2) got roughed up early and took the loss.

“I got a lot of pitches up,” Garland said. “You’re facing a team like the Reds right now, who seem to be swinging the bats pretty well, you’re going to get hurt.”

The game featured several mental mistakes early by the Diamondbacks, namely some unwise throws with Reds runners on the move that eventually helped to plate three runs inside the first three innings alone.

Twice, the Reds turned singles into doubles because Byrnes and Lopez were either napping or weren’t on the same page defensively.

Third baseman Mark Reynolds was also charged with an error when his throw to first on a bunt by Willy Taveras allowed Arroyo to go from first to third.

And then there was Garland, who was lifted after 3 1/2 innings after allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits, including back-to-back home runs by Laynce Nix and Adam Rosales to open the fourth.

As bad as Garland was, relief pitcher Bobby Korecky was worse.

Recalled from Triple-A Reno on Saturday, the right-hander allowed six earned runs on seven hits in just two innings.

Short hops

• Right-hander Brandon Webb, on the disabled list indefinitely because of bursitis behind his right shoulder, could start playing catch during the team’s upcoming road trip, Hinch said.

After Webb starts playing catch, he can begin a throwing program.

• Left fielder Conor Jackson was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game Monday because an illness.

Hinch wasn’t sure when Jackson would be ready for full-time duty.

Reynolds

PHOENIX – Yes, that was Mark Reynolds starting at first base on Sunday against the Nationals.

No, it isn’t a sign of things to come regarding a position change.

For now, new manager A.J. Hinch is calling it a one-game decision. It primarily was made because the team was facing a left-handed starting pitcher and wanted as many right-handed bats in the lineup as possible.

With Conor Jackson unavailable because of a fever, Hinch moved Reynolds from third base to first and started Ryan Roberts at third. Reynolds played one inning at first base a year ago.

There is a school of thought that Reynolds likely would cut down on his errors if he moved to first base, which could help Chad Tracy get time at third and allow him to find a rhythm at the plate.

Tracy is scheduled to start at third today when the Diamondbacks begin a three-game set against the Reds. Reynolds, however, doesn’t anticipate donning a first baseman’s glove beyond Sunday.

“If it means I’m going to help the team win and I’m still here and have a jersey for every game, I’ll do whatever they tell me to do,” he said.

Calling pitches

Many managers will send signals to the catcher about what pitch they want in certain situations. Bob Melvin, fired last week, did it during his tenure with the Diamondbacks.

Hinch said he will trust catchers Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero to call the shots.

“We talk about it after innings, between innings and before innings, but Snyder and Montero know everything we’re trying to do,” Hinch said. “Will I offer a suggestion now and then? Sure, but I haven’t (called pitches), and I don’t intend to unless I feel very strongly about something.”

Short hops

• Shortstop Stephen Drew, on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, went 1 for 5 with a triple in his first game of a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Hinch said Drew could be activated before the end of this homestand.

• Augie Ojeda, who has been ill, is expected to start at shortstop Monday, Hinch said.

Nationals catcher Jesus Flores catches a pop-up by Arizona's Mark Reynolds for an out during the seventh inning Friday. The Nationals won 5-4.

PHOENIX – It was only one game, just the first in A.J. Hinch’s new career as a major-league manager.

But if that’s what the Arizona Diamondbacks are going to call “organizational advocacy,” they may as well change the team’s color scheme back to purple and teal while they’re at it.

At least they won a World Series in the old threads.

Friday night, with the young former front-office man now running the team from the dugout, the Diamondbacks didn’t look terribly different than they did under deposed manager Bob Melvin.

They lost to the team with the worst record in baseball, as the Nationals handed them a 5-4 defeat in front of 28,640 at Chase Field.

Arizona (12-18) has dropped five of its past six and continues to draw skeptics, especially after naming a managerial replacement with no prior coaching or managing experience.

“I was proud of the guys for battling back and kind of answering the bell,” Hinch said. “Obviously we left a lot of guys on base, had some opportunities which you always reflect on, but the effort was there. I felt like the intensity was high. We came up a run short, which is unfortunate.”

Hinch’s debut started off well enough, with Yusmeiro Petit pitching out of a first-inning jam and Justin Upton driving in Felipe Lopez for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning.

But just like Hinch figures to have to do for the next several months, if not years, the Diamondbacks spent the rest of the night trying to catch up.

Cristian Guzman hit a two run-double in the second and Adam Dunn, the slugger the Diamondbacks let go during the winter by choosing not to tender him a qualifying offer, hit his eighth homer of the season in the third to give Washington (9-18) a 3-1 lead.

Jesus Flores added a homer in the fourth and hit a run-scoring single in the sixth as the Nationals led 5-3, despite RBI singles from Chris Young and Eric Byrnes.

Byrnes’ RBI single snapped a 0-for-17 skid at the plate. Entering the game as part of a double switch in the sixth, he singled again in the eighth and stole second as the Diamondbacks tried to mount a comeback.

Byrnes tried to steal third but was thrown out for the second out of the inning, and Lopez ended it by popping up to the catcher.

“It was a tough day,” Lopez said, “but everybody was focused” on trying to win a ballgame.

Meanwhile, a couple of hitting streaks continued Friday.

Washington first baseman Ryan Zimmerman extended his streak to 26 games, the longest in the majors, with a single off Petit in the first inning.

Upton’s single in the seventh extended his career-high streak to 15 games.

“I had to show up for work and be professional,” Upton said, “and the rest of the team did, too.”

Dunn, who spent part of last season with the Diamondbacks, praised Melvin.

“Bob, from the time I was here, was unbelievable,” Dunn said, “a great person, a great guy and a great baseball guy. It’s sad that someone like him has to get fired, because I know he did everything in his power. He’s just such a great baseball person. I can’t say enough good things about that guy.”

The Giants' Bengie Molina (top) celebrates his home run against the Diamondbacks with Pablo Sandoval in the fourth inning Friday. The Giants won 5-1.

PHOENIX – On their first day back on the job after taking two of three games from the Colorado Rockies, the Arizona Diamondbacks took another step backward Friday night in losing 5-1 to the Giants before a crowd of 27,865 at Chase Field

Tim Lincecum, denied a victory in his last outing despite pitching eight scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks with 13 strikeouts, picked up where he left off and dominated Arizona once again.

This time, he allowed one run off five hits through eight innings and fanned 12 more batters to earn his first win of the year.

“I just try to be as aggressive as I can with most teams,” Lincecum said. “And I really get more aggressive with these guys for some reason.”

In addition to Lincecum’s brilliant effort, the Giants (7-8) got home runs in the first from shortstop Edgar Renteria and in the fourth from catcher Bengie Molina to help post their fourth straight victory and their fifth in the past six games.

The Diamondbacks, who dropped to 6-10, haven’t won as much as two games in a row since last season when they swept the Rockies to close out the year.

Outside of a couple pitches to Renteria and Molina, starting pitcher Doug Davis was fairly solid early until having to battle in the sixth.

That’s when the Giants picked up their third run. Davis would be charged with two more in the seventh after being relieved by Juan Gutierrez.

A double by Molina off the glove of Chris Young in deep center field made it 5-1.

But like it’s been on most nights, the problem with the Diamondbacks was a lack of offensive punch.

Including his last start, Lincecum, the National League’s reigning Cy Young Award winner, had shut them out for 12 straight innings until Davis, of all people, knocked in Arizona’s run.

In the fifth, Justin Upton hit a one-out double down the line in left and with two outs, Davis laced a single to center to pull the Diamondbacks within 2-1.

Diamondbacks fans thought their team had a sure run on the board earlier, when Eric Byrnes belted a rising line drive in the third that hit the yellow line surrounding the top of the wall in left field.

But it wasn’t a home run. In accordance with Chase Field ground rules, it was a live ball and Byrnes had to settle for a double.

He was later tagged out at third to end the inning.

After facing Lincecum, the Diamondbacks now have to take on their longtime former teammate, Randy Johnson, who gets the start for the Giants on Saturday.

Johnson beat Arizona on Sunday in San Francisco, throwing a one-hitter over seven innings. He will be trying for his 297th career victory.

“I would say maybe the adrenaline gets pumped up a little bit and he’ll probably get a nice reception from the crowd,” Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said.

“But once the game starts, it’s all about him trying to make his pitches and us trying to make him work and getting some hits off of him.”

———

UP NEXT: San Francisco (Johnson 1-2) at Arizona (Scherzer 0-1), 5:10 p.m. Saturday. TV: FSNA. Radio: 1490 AM

PHOENIX – As his struggles continue to mount, reliever Jon Rauch’s days as the club’s seventh-inning setup man appear to be nearing an end.

Manager Bob Melvin seemed to indicate as much Wednesday when he said Tom Gordon will assume a prominent role in the bullpen upon his activation from the 15-day disabled list.

And that could come in just a few days, following the veteran right-hander’s third rehab appearance as he gets stronger from off-season elbow surgery. Melvin said Gordon likely would pitch in one more game for Triple-A Reno, Nev., before joining the Diamondbacks’ staff.

“We could certainly use him,” Melvin said. “He’s a guy that once he comes back, probably will be pitching in a prominent role for us.”

Melvin isn’t about to change things with closer Chad Qualls and eighth-inning setup man Tony Peña, meaning Rauch likely will be more of a mop-up middle reliever as Gordon assumes more of a late-inning role.

Rauch has allowed eight earned runs in six innings of relief, giving him an ERA of 12.00. He went 0-6 with a 6.56 ERA for the D’backs last season following his trade from the Nationals.

Short hops

• Bench coach Kirk Gibson missed Wednesday’s game because of the flu.

• All-Star ballots were announced Wednesday and the Diamondbacks’ usual everyday lineup is on it: catcher Chris Snyder, first baseman Chad Tracy, second baseman Felipe Lopez, shortstop Stephen Drew, third baseman Mark Reynolds, left fielder Conor Jackson, center fielder Chris Young and right fielder Justin Upton.

PHOENIX – The Diamondbacks finally won a series, Dan Haren finally won a game and for once, they can finally enjoy a day off.

Haren pitched seven scoreless innings Wednesday and the Diamondbacks got just enough hits when they needed them to beat the Rockies 2-0 at Chase Field to win their first series in five tries.

Haren entered the game 0-3 with a 1.89 ERA, becoming just the second pitcher since 1983 to start a season 0-3 and have an ERA below 2.00.

But thanks to a much-needed spark by the offense in the seventh inning, Haren collected win No. 1 of 2009. He also lowered his ERA to 1.38.

“You don’t want to go through the whole month of April and not win a game,” said Haren, who was given only one run by D’backs hitters in his first three starts. “I was digging myself quite a hole, being 0-3. But I’ve been proud of the way I’ve been keeping the team in the game, and that’s really my job to go out there and give the team a chance every time.”

The win came after the Diamondbacks managed only three hits off Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa through the first six innings, and one of them was a single up the middle by Haren. But in the seventh, Chris Young led off with a single to left. Chris Snyder hit a one-out single to center.

And then Ryan Roberts, pinch-hitting for Haren, stroked a hard single to the gap in right-center field, scoring Young. It was the second major league RBI for the 28-year-old Roberts, playing in his 26th career game. His first came on Aug. 3, 2006, when he played for Toronto and homered off Cory Lidle of the New York Yankees.

“It’s fortunate that you get called on when you get called on, and the key is just to be ready,” said Roberts, who had five at-bats in the first 14 games.

After an intentional walk to Felipe Lopez and Stephen Drew’s third strikeout of the game, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle lifted De La Rosa for reliever Jason Grilli. With the bases loaded, Conor Jackson fouled off a series of pitches before drawing a walk to make it 2-0.

“It was nice to be able to reward (Haren) with the win after pitching in conditions where every pitch could have an effect on the outcome of the game,” Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s tough to pitch like that, especially against a lineup like that.”

———

UP NEXT

Friday: Arizona (Doug Davis 1-2, 2.57) at San Francisco (Jonathan Sanchez 1-1, 3.97), 6:40 p.m. TV: FSNA. Radio: 1490-AM

Arizona's Justin Upton gets hit by a pitch by the St. Louis Cardinals' Josh Kinney as Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina reaches for the ball Tuesday in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 7-6 in 10 innings.

PHOENIX – Much like the way he had been holding his hands and bat high above his head and seemingly out of position, consider this when talking about Justin Upton: It’s not where or how you start, but how you finish.

As the Arizona Diamondbacks begin their first road trip of the season with a three-game set at AT&T Park against the Giants on Friday, Upton embarks on a critical journey in his young major league career.

He’s trying to rebound from a poor spring training and bitterly cold start to the season at the same time he’s attempting to fix some flaws in his hitting mechanics.

Part of the reason he hit .197 during the Cactus League and carries a .105 average into Friday is because he’s trying to find a better approach at the plate.

He had been cocking his bat high behind his head and wasn’t getting into a decent position with his hands as pitches were made to him. As a result, he was getting long and loopy with his swing.

That limited his ability to read and react to pitches, let alone make any consistent contact with the ball.

“Sometimes, you just fall into bad habits,” Upton said. “I tried to keep things really simple, but sometimes things get away from you.”

Upton has been working tirelessly with hitting coach Rick Schu. He is now dropping his hands into a more suitable spot to maximize contact and power and, slowly, it seems to be working.

He strung together a handful of decent at-bats during the end of Arizona’s series against the visiting Cardinals, which finally included his first hit after 15 at-bats and seven strikeouts.

He’s only 21, but there is so much potential that people can forget the pressure that comes with being a No. 1 overall draft pick.

At 19, he became the youngest Diamondbacks player to reach the big leagues. But as his swing problems prove, he has a lot to learn.

“He’s a high-hand guy, but it’s where your hands are when you’re loaded and moving toward the ball,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You see a lot of stances and hand positions, but for all good hitters it’s where they are when their foot gets down and when the ball is on its way.”

The Diamondbacks contemplated sending Upton to Triple-A Reno, but when the question was put to Upton, he scoffed at the notion he needs time in the minors.

“I played here in ’07, I played here all of last season, and in my mind and being a competitor, I don’t think I need to go there,” he said. “I think it’s just a matter of time before I get hot and start swinging the bat.”

Like Upton, the Diamondbacks haven’t started out well, either. They are 3-6 and have lost all three series.

“We have to start playing better, whether it’s offensive and defensively at the same time or whether it’s pitching and offense at the same time,” Melvin said. “Our timing hasn’t been good as far as that goes . . . It’s certainly not the start we were looking for.”

PHOENIX – In their first three games of the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks watched their energy level on the diamond dip as progressively as the attendance and the passion in the stands at Chase Field.

They opened with a crescendo against the Rockies, bashing five home runs in a wild win before a sellout crowd of 48,799, only to lose two uninspiring efforts in front of drastically quieter, dwindling crowds of 26,637 and 18,227.

A three-day visit by the Dodgers, starting Friday night, should help to liven up everything.

There have been battles with the Giants and Padres, that postseason loss to the Rockies two years ago and all the previous dust-ups the Diamondbacks have had with all three of those division foes.

When it comes to real rivalries for the Diamondbacks in the National League West, it’s the Dodgers who always seem to draw the most electricity, intensity and the biggest crowds.

It will never be as big as the century-plus rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants, but it is growing and gaining relevance.

“You’re not going to have a rivalry between fourth- and fifth-place teams in the division,” Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren said. “You need two good teams and we both are. It’s not to say we don’t like each other, but every game is just a little more intense than maybe a series like we just played (against Colorado).

“The energy gets pumped up a little more. For us, going to a place like L.A. is always a hostile environment and they usually bring a lot of fans here and they’re pretty rowdy. Plus, the games usually are always close and low scoring.”

Things peaked last season, when the Dodgers rallied late in the year to overtake the Diamondbacks and win the division title by two games. The Dodgers won seven of the final eight regular-season meetings with the Diamondbacks to help do it.

“There’s always going to be the Dodgers-Giants rivalry,” Arizona manager Bob Melvin said, “but I think each and every year, whoever’s at the top in the West would be considered the most attractive rivalry.”

Stephen Drew (left) is congratulated by Chad Tracy (center) and Arizona manager Bob Melvin after his homer tied the score at 1 in the first inning Wednesday. But Colorado went on to post a 9-2 win.

On Tuesday he felt fine. On Wednesday he didn’t. And just to be safe rather than sorry, the Diamondbacks removed ace Brandon Webb from his scheduled start Saturday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers because of right-shoulder stiffness.

Webb began feeling soreness behind the shoulder during Monday’s season-opening, 9-8 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday after getting roughed up in the third inning.

He said it didn’t bother him the next day, when he played catch. But it stiffened on him overnight, and Webb alerted manager Bob Melvin and the team’s medical staff upon arriving at Chase Field on Wednesday.

“I’m going to make sure I take care of this early on,” Melvin said. “The training staff will work diligently on him the next few days, and hopefully that’s all it is.”

Webb, who lasted just four innings Monday and allowed six runs, was to be examined by team physician Michael Lee. Melvin said the team likely will wait to see how Webb’s shoulder feels before scheduling an MRI exam.

Yusmeiro Petit, who made the team as a long reliever, will start in Webb’s place Saturday. If Webb’s shoulder improves with rest and therapy over the next few days, he will slide back into his usual spot in the rotation and likely pitch April 17 at San Francisco.

Webb was not available for comment. A team spokesman said the pitcher plans to speak with reporters Friday.

Rockies off to good start

Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins said he hoped this would be a year of paybacks. The Diamondbacks, after all, went 15-3 against his team last season.

“Hopefully we can return the favor,” Atkins said.

Colorado is off to a good start, winning the three-game series with a convincing 9-2 victory Wednesday before a crowd of 18,277 at Chase Field. Last year, it took the Rockies until the middle of August to collect two wins against Arizona. This year, it took them two days.

And the theme Wednesday was the same as Tuesday: The Rockies got sharp pitching, and the D’backs couldn’t do much with their bats. Arizona was held to five hits for the second straight day.

Left-hander Franklin Morales allowed one run and struck out six in six innings to get the win, only to learn after the game he was getting optioned to the minors to open a roster spot for new pitcher Jason Hammel. Doug Davis took the loss, allowing four earned runs and four walks in five innings.

“We certainly need to play a lot better,” Melvin said. “It is what it is, but we have the Dodgers coming in (Friday), and we better pick it up quickly.” Arizona is off Thursday.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks proved in 2008 that you can’t win a division title in April.

They got off to a 20-8 start the first month, but they eventually were overtaken by the Los Angeles Dodgers and missed the postseason.

This year, Arizona opens with 18 of its first 21 games at home, one of the quirkier schedules in baseball.

A similar start like last season’s isn’t necessary, but a horrible April with so many home games could make things difficult for the rest of the year, and manager Bob Melvin knows it.

“That’s negative thinking,” Melvin said. “We’re trying to have a bit of a shorter focus. We do know the schedule. We do know we have a lot of home games in April. But we played well at home last year, too, and that’s something we’re encouraged about.”

Left fielder Conor Jackson said the abundance of early home games is both a positive and a negative.

“The pluses are we’re home and playing in front of our home crowd, so you have a chance to come out hot in front of your own fans,” he said. “The minuses are, we’ll be stacked up with away games for a couple of months and we’ll be asked to do some crazy traveling later on.

“But what we have to remember is the pennant isn’t won in April. You can’t lose it in April, either. That doesn’t happen until September, maybe August, so I don’t think we’re going to base our season around April.”

Short hops

• Right-handers Max Scherzer (shoulder) and Tom Gordon (elbow) were placed on the disabled list, as expected.

• Gordon took another step forward in his rehab, throwing 60 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday. “He wanted to know if he could throw three innings,” Melvin said. Gordon will throw at least one more bullpen session, Melvin said, before facing hitters.

Montero

Miguel Montero almost hated to admit it, but when a conversation about the art of catching turned to one of the game’s more-decorated players at the position, he was at a loss.

“I didn’t even know he didn’t have a job,” the Arizona Diamondbacks catcher said of Ivan Rodriguez, one of many free agents trying to land work.

“He’s always been one of my favorite players. . . . Heck, if he signed with us, I’d be all for it – just to be able to watch him catch.”

Interesting comments from a player who gets limited at-bats every season as the backup to Chris Snyder.

But that’s Montero. Honest and open.

“Oh, man. You almost really have to be a teammate of his to understand how great he is,” Diamondbacks left fielder Conor Jackson said of Montero. “He’s a vivacious guy, lots of energy, plays the game hard – and with such passion. He’s just a guy you want to have in your clubhouse.”

Randy Johnson, the former Diamondbacks pitcher now with the Giants, drove that point home last week after throwing against Arizona in a Cactus League game at Scottsdale Stadium.

Montero had become Johnson’s designated catcher last season, and Johnson had nice words for him.

“I think if he was to play every day, he’d probably hit 25 home runs, bat .265 to .270 and probably have 65 to 70 RBIs. He’s that good of a hitter,” Johnson said.

Though some took that as a slap to Snyder, Montero took it to heart.

“That was really nice to hear, especially from a guy like Randy,” said Montero, who hit .255 in 184 at-bats last season. “I really appreciated the time I got to catch him, and it was always fun. He was always a nice guy to me, and I appreciate that.”

Montero long has been pegged as a potential offensive dynamo. But Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said the catcher has devoted a lot of time to improve his game behind the plate and added that it’s evident this spring.

“It just seems like he’s taking charge a little bit more behind the plate,” Melvin said. “He’s been working very hard . . . and we’re starting to see some of the rewards.”

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Chris Snyder hits a three-run home run in the fourth inning Monday against the Chicago Cubs in Mesa.

Chris Snyder can see and feel a different vibe about the Arizona Diamondbacks this year.

There is a hunger growing and a fight to wage, he said, much of it leftover hostilities from last season’s September fade, when the team lost its grip on the National League West to the rival Dodgers.

“We’ve got a little bit more grit in us,” the Diamondbacks’ starting catcher said. “I think you’re going to see a little bit more fight and more times where you see us really go out there and battle and do whatever it takes to win.”

If the Diamondbacks play with more fire and aggression, Snyder is sure to be front and center of the charge. He has become one of the club’s more visible leaders, partly because of the position he plays, but also because of how he is wired.

And if he says the Diamondbacks have the look and feel of a grittier, meaner bunch, you believe him.

“If you’re going to put a ‘C’ on somebody’s uniform, he’d be the guy,” Diamondbacks hitting coach Rick Schu said. “It’s the way he goes about his business, his presence, his professionalism. And he’s got such a great passion for the game.

“He’s definitely the kind of guy you want behind the plate. He’s a general.”

Snyder can be Dr. Phil when dealing with the pitching staff, a calm and reasoning voice that can handle various personalities and egos. He can also be a junkyard dog if he sees a young teammate falling out of line or failing to give his all.

“But he can keep it loose and not always be serious, either,” first baseman Chad Tracy said. “He’s a great teammate, he’s one of the best defensive catchers in the game, and he’s getting better offensively, every year.”

D’backs notes

Tuesday: San Francisco Giants 7, D’backs 6

Wednesday: D’backs vs. Team Mexico, 5:05 p.m., Tucson Electric Park

Hitting recap: Miguel Montero had two hits, and Justin Upton had an RBI triple for Arizona.

Pitching recap: D’backs left-hander Doug Davis retired all six batters he faced despite being uncertain if he would start because of a nerve condition in his left arm that he said has bothered him for five years, although he has not spoken of it before.

Notable: Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Webb is scheduled to make his first start of the spring Wednesday at Tucson Electric Park against Team Mexico.

TAMPA, Fla. – Call it the “Immaculate Interception.”

It was the longest play in Super Bowl history. It was just as improbable as Franco Harris’ amazing play in the Steelers’ 1972 AFC divisional playoff game against the Raiders.

And just like that one, this helped propel Pittsburgh to a victory.

It wasn’t as important as Santonio Holmes’ brilliant 6-yard touchdown catch from Ben Roethlisberger in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score with 35 seconds left to play. But James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown now is etched in Super Bowl history.

It was every bit as dramatic as David Tyree’s heroic, late-game helmet catch for the Giants against the Patriots just a year ago at University of Phoenix Stadium.

This one was crazy.

The Cardinals, trailing 10-7, had the ball at the Steelers 34-yard line after Karlos Dansby intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass that had been tipped by the Cardinals’ Bryan Robinson.

Seven plays, including Larry Fitzgerald’s first reception of the game with less than a minute to play until halftime, put the Cardinals at the Pittsburgh 1 with 18 seconds remaining. And that’s when it happened.

Kurt Warner took a quick drop and tried to squeeze a pass into the end zone to Anquan Boldin. But Harrison, named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year this past season, stepped in front of it and rambled down the right sideline. He avoided tackle after tackle and picked up enough blocks at just the right time to complete the unthinkable.

“We were basically on a max blitz,” Harrison said. “Kurt had to get it out and so he had to throw a quick slant in or out and I guessed on it, basically just shifted out, flowed out, and he threw it straight to me. After that, it was about my teammates helping me get to the other end.”

The play was reviewed to see if Harrison got the ball across the line and the call was upheld, allowing the Steelers to seize a 17-7 lead when it appeared the Cardinals, once down 10-0, might take a 14-10 halftime lead. The replay was important because no time was left and Pittsburgh couldn’t have run a play from scrimmage.

“All we were thinking was that he had to score because if he gets tackled, it’s nothing,” Roethlisberger said. “Those are the type of plays he has been making all year. That’s the reason why he was the Defensive Player of the Year.”

Did Harrison ever think that, besides the clock running out if he didn’t get in, he might give out?

“I was going to make it,” Harrison said. “I’m not going to lie – it was a quarter tank (left). But I ended up making it.”

Harrison went the distance for not only the longest play in Super Bowl history, but also the longest interception return in Steelers’ history.

“We needed to do a much better job of tackling there,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt told NBC at halftime. “Especially with so little time left on the clock.”

But just like the Immaculate Reception 37 years earlier, this one had controversy. Just before Harrison reached the end zone, Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston dragged Harrison to the ground.

It appeared as if Harrison might have been down by contact just shy of the goal line, but there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field, so the touchdown was upheld and the Steelers, who became the first team in Super Bowl history to score a touchdown with no time left on the clock in the first half, had a 17-7 lead.

‘Franchise player’ Dansby wants security of long deal

Arizona Cardinals' Karlos Dansby loses his helmet while tackling Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner during the Jan. 3 wild-card playoff game in Glendale.

TAMPA, Fla. – The Cardinals’ commitment to winning will be tested this offseason, said linebacker Karlos Dansby, who views his contract situation as the first question on the exam.

“Oh, yeah, they got a lot of offseason decisions,” Dansby said. “But I’m the franchise player this year, so I think I’m the first one up, know what I’m saying? I’ve been the first one up the last two or three years, but they always overlook me. Now, they can’t overlook me. They’ve got to deal with me.”

The Cardinals and Dansby couldn’t agree on a long-term contract last spring, so the team placed the franchise tag on Dansby, guaranteeing him $8 million this season but restricting his free-agent prospects.

He’s due to become an unrestricted free agent this spring, unless the team places the franchise tag on him again. Thursday, Dansby at one point said he didn’t want the franchise tag, then later described it being “a great honor” to be the franchise player for a Super Bowl champion team.

“I want the security, man,” he said, referring to a long-term contract. “I want some foundation. I did my part. If we win the game, I definitely did my part.”

Another franchise designation would guarantee Dansby a salary of close to $10 million for 2009. Asked if it made sense to pay him $18 million over two years, Dansby smiled.

“That’s a beautiful thing, man,” he said. “But I’m going to try to force their hand. They’re going to have to do something soon.”

Dansby and his agent, Kirk Wood, view the deal signed by the Jets’ Calvin Pace as a baseline for negotiations.

Last year, Pace, a former Cardinals player, signed a six-year, $42 million deal that included about $20 million guaranteed.

“Calvin Pace for president,” Dansby said, repeating a line he’s used all season. “I’m just glad he took it to another level so I can take it up a little higher.”

The Cardinals have said that Dansby is one of their core players, but are looking to sign Dansby to a contract similar to that of Seattle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who reportedly received $16 million in guarantees for a six-year deal.