In Arizona Diamondbacks third base coach Shaun Larkin’s mind, everything was lining up. The runner was going hard. The center fielder hesitated slightly. The timing was right — and Larkin pushed the envelope.

When it was over, the Diamondbacks had cleared the bases on a sacrifice fly. It served as a sort of early example of how Larkin wants approach his new role.

“I want to be smart, aware and aggressive,” Larkin said. “I want to be an aggressive third base coach but also think in the algorithm of game situation, hitter, defense, arm — (take) all that into consideration.”

With the bases loaded and one out during Saturday's 9-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies , the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte hit a deep drive to center. The Rockies’ Sam Hilliard made the catch at the warning track. Hilliard’s momentum took him back an extra step, and he also took his time getting the ball back to the infield.

Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks’ Blaze Alexander, who started the play at second, was running hard toward third.

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Larkin waved him home. The decision paid off when shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s throw went up the third base line. Not only did Jordan Lawlar and Alexander score, so did Jorge Barrosa, who began the play at first.

“Regardless of how the outfielders or infielders were playing it,” Larkin said, “Blaze going hard starts that whole thing.”

Larkin’s predilection for aggressive baseball fits the style of manager Torey Lovullo and, in many ways, matches the composition of the roster.

“That’s my general mentality,” Larkin said. “I’m intense. When it’s time to go, we go.

"I have a lot of fun outside of that, but when it’s time to go we’re locked in and I’m looking for a way to compete and win. Whatever edge we can find.”

Tony Perezchica had been the only third base coach of the Lovullo era, but he left in the offseason to take the same role with the Houston Astros .

Larkin spent last year as the Diamondbacks’ farm director. Prior to that, he had an eight-year stint in various player development roles with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He crossed paths with Lovullo in the Cleveland organization, when Larkin was a player and Lovullo a manager.

Larkin said this will be his first time coaching third base since the 2016 season. To prepare, he said he watched loads of video and spoke with a handful of third base coaches around the majors.

“I’ve been fortunate in my career as a coach and coordinator to have really good coaches around me that I’ve learned from,” he said. “Now I’m able to at least implement some of those thoughts and ideas in real time.”

Jordan Montgomery: Plenty of time to prepare for season

Jordan Montgomery did not throw for most of the first week of camp, but the Diamondbacks lefty is confident the calendar is still on his side in terms of getting ready for Opening Day.

“It’s still so early,” Montgomery said. “It’ll be a good, gradual build.”

Montgomery was idle in the early days of camp as he dealt with a minor finger injury, but he resumed throwing on Tuesday. On Saturday morning, he threw a light session from the front of the mound.

Montgomery said he could face hitters in a live batting practice session sometime in the next week to 10 days, give or take.

“I came in with a lot of (bullpen sessions) under my belt,” Montgomery said. “(The training staff) wasn’t too worried about six days (without throwing) ruining any volume I had built up.”

The club says Montgomery is in competition for a rotation spot.