D-Backs notebook: Scherzer pitching right at home

ST. LOUIS - If anyone was born to pitch in Busch Stadium, it is Max Scherzer. His father has St. Louis Cardinals season tickets, and so did his father. Scherzer attended his first World Series game here ... not in 2006, when the Cardinals last won it, but in 1985. He was a year old.

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"I got into baseball because of the Cardinals," said Scherzer, who will make his first career start against them here today.

"They play hard. They play the game right. My favorite player was Ozzie Smith. Baseball has been very rich in my family.

"It is a dream come true. The dream is to make the major leagues. It is icing on the cake to be able to pitch in Busch Stadium."

Scherzer, who grew up in suburban Chesterfield, Mo., said he has received 60 ticket requests for today's game and said his folks told him another 30 to 40 already have tickets to the game.

"Now I have to pitch well," Scherzer said with a laugh.

Manager Bob Melvin said he is not worried about Scherzer, 0-3 with a 3.00 ERA, being affected by his return.

"He never lacks for energy or focus," Melvin said. "He's a very driven guy. I'm sure he'll be that much more excited. It could work in his favor."

Scherzer's record is deceiving. He has received eight runs in his six starts, one apiece in his last two starts against Cincinnati and Colorado.

The D-Backs still like him as a starter as he works to maintain consistency with his secondary pitches and also learns to pitch to contact, at least a little, to keep his pitch counts lower.

"The need for us (going forward) is as a starter, and he hasn't done anything to suggest he can't be a starter," Melvin said.

MONTERO GETS QUICK RESULTS

Miguel Montero tinkered with his batting stance the last few days and saw immediate results with his sixth-inning home run Tuesday, breaking an 0-for-18 slump.

Montero drove a 2-0 fastball into the stands in right-center field while using a stance in which his feet are more spread and he does not take much of a stride with his front foot as the pitch is delivered.

"I'm trying to spread out a little bit to get more on top of the ball," Montero said.

The approach is similar to one Houston's Jeff Bagwell used, when he shifted his weight as the pitch was delivered but did not step forward.

SHORT HOPS

Augie Ojeda started at third base instead of Mark Reynolds against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Lohse on Monday. "We have to get Augie in there periodically," said Melvin, who also said it was a defensive adaptation because of the right-handed hitters St. Louis stacks when it plays Randy Johnson. Reynolds has 198 strikeouts, one short of the major league record set by Philadelphia's Ryan Howard last season, and struck out in all three plate appearances against Lohse on Sept. 3.

Ojeda, incidentally, is the only National Leaguer to have played at least 20 games at second base, shortstop and third base. He has 40 games at second, 27 at third and 22 at shortstop. He has not committed an error at either second or third, and has the most chances at each position among those who are errorless.