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AP: dece6a74-b2a9-4073-b007-0c440a26437d
Arizona Diamondbacks' Justin Upton walks back to the dugout after striking out as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina returns the ball to the pitcher during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 7, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Kirk Gibson could not have expected the reaction he got after deciding to bat Justin Upton second in Monday night's game.

Upton, you know, has been the team's number three hitter for the better part of the last year, so the idea of moving him up in the order was one much of the Valley was simply not able to handle.

"He hasn't done well with runners in scoring position right now," Gibson said of the decision to make the change. "Moved him up. I did it last year for a day or two."

Gibson said one of the main reasons for making the move was to balance out what was going to be a very left handed-heavy lineup. He didn't want them all batting consecutively, and moving Upton -- a right hander -- in the order helped.

Then again, none of this happens if Upton was finding success at the dish. He's hitting just .234 on the season with three home runs and nine RBI. In short, he's struggling, and numbers like that don't belong in the three hole.

"He's been, at times recently, we thought that he was starting to get on track, but he hasn't been able to get on track," Gibson said. "I think Justin probably presses too hard, tries to do too much."

Gibson talked about how Upton had his struggles last year, too, even sitting out for a game in May before really taking off.

The game Gibson was referring to was on May 28 in Houston. Upton sat out with a .241 average, the D-backs won 11-3, and things almost immediately turned around for the young star.

"We've been there before and you can't, like, try and do too much extra, put too much pressure on yourself," Gibson said. "It's a 'we thing,' OK, it's not Justin, it's we."

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