Gibson grateful for support, but is focused on winning

PHOENIX -- A day after Miguel Montero came to the defense of manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers, the D-backs catcher reiterated his point and was backed up by utility infielder Eric Chavez.

Gibson said thanks, but no thanks.

"When you get into the kind of situation we're in, you're going to have comments from different people and different perspectives," Gibson said before his 7-18 club opened a three-game series against the Phillies at Chase Field on Friday night. "I'm focused on trying to prepare these guys to be successful. From the media, there are guys on both sides of the aisle.

"We're pretty open right now. We're pretty susceptible. Take your shots. I've supported Miggy all along. You know how I feel about him and it seems the feeling is mutual. Obviously, it's greatly appreciated. Yet, that doesn't get us a win. We have to be prepared to win the game."

Gibson said he has spoken regularly to managing partner Ken Kendrick and team president Derrick Hall and "they've been great since the day I got here and they continue to be that way."

"I'm just going to tell you guys don't ask me about it every day because I won't respond to it," Gibson said. "I go out there and bust my [butt]. I'm a believer that we can fix the position that we are in and I'll push that way one way or the other."

Montero didn't back down from his statements made Thursday after the game at Wrigley Field.

"The bottom line, like I said [Thursday], is we should go out there and play better baseball," Montero said. "We're in here every day trying to get better. Those guys are out there doing the best they can for us, trying to make it easier for us to go out there and perform. They prepare every day. Maybe we need to prepare ourselves better as players. The coaches have done everything they can to help us win a ballgame.

"The bottom line is we've got to play good baseball. We've got to pitch good, we have to hit good, and we have to play good defense, period. We haven't done none of those three."

Because of all that, Montero added, he's uncomfortable hearing all the comments about the tenuous footing Gibson and Towers may be on at the moment. Chavez agreed.

"It's our fault, 100 percent," he said. "If everybody doesn't look at what ownership did and the money they spent bringing in players to try and better this team to put us in position … Granted, we lose our No. 1 starter and one of our top guys out of the 'pen, that's going to hurt anybody. Good teams overcome injuries. But the kind of start we got off to, I don't know how you can explain that. I don't think you can blame that on anything except that we've just played horribly and the numbers don't lie."