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PHOENIX -- We've reached that stage in the baseball season where rookies are rookies in name only. They know enough to not preen over a home run, how much to tip the clubhouse attendants and where to ferret out the best nightlife in every city. You know ... museums and other cultural attractions like that.

Standing in the batter's box against Brad Penny or Matt Cain in late September with runners on base and a game on the line is a slightly different proposition. That's when the sweat glands tend to become a little more active.

Arizona's precocious rookies -- Stephen Drew, Chris Young and Justin Upton -- have fared well for the most part, but they are about to encounter a pressure unlike anything they experienced at the Area Code Games or on draft day. That's where Eric Byrnes, Orlando Hudson and Tony Clark -- the team's most prominent veterans -- can put their stamp on the clubhouse dynamic.

"A lot of these guys are going through this for the first time,'' Byrnes said Tuesday. "It's the fifth time for me. In order for us to win, I need to have a good September. I know that.''

Last month, the Diamondbacks showed their faith in Byrnes by signing him to a three-year, $30 million contract extension and rescuing him from a winter of uncertainty and text messaging his agent. So far, neither party has reason to complain.

On a fine all-around night for Arizona's veterans on Tuesday, Clark hit a two-run homer off Padres starter Chris Young in the first inning, and Byrnes followed with a three-run shot two innings later. Hudson reached base five straight times, and the Diamondbacks rode Doug Davis' solid pitching to a 9-1 victory over San Diego and a share of first place in the National League West.

Arizona's improbable bid to make the playoffs had hit a few speed bumps of late. The Diamondbacks dropped 10 of 15 games before Tuesday. And in their final two meetings with San Diego this season, they were scheduled to face Young and Jake Peavy -- the starters with the two best ERAs in the NL.

With the Dodgers and Rockies creeping up, and the media beating them over the head with their minus-44 run differential, the Diamondbacks were due for a breather.

Arizona's offense -- or lack thereof -- continues to provide little margin of error for Brandon Webb and the pitching staff. The Diamondbacks rank last in the NL with a .247 team batting average, last in on-base percentage at .315 and 14th in runs scored.

Scan the NL individual leaders, and with the exception of Young (28 homers), Hudson (eight triples) and Byrnes (eight triples and 39 stolen bases), there is not a Diamondback to be found in the top 10. Arizona manager Bob Melvin knows it's going to take a collaborative effort if the D-backs are going to exercise staying power.

"We don't really have anybody who's going to put a team on their back for the better part of two weeks and carry it,'' Melvin said. "We're going to need contributions across the board.''

Hudson, Arizona's irrepressible "O-Dog,'' is playing his usual Gold Glove-caliber defense at second base, but he has been a nonentity with a bat in his hands. Before Tuesday's game, he was in a .143 funk (6-for-42) with an alarming 15 strikeouts.

"I've been absolutely horse----,'' Hudson said. "Pitches that I was hammering early, I'm fouling off right now and not squaring them up that well. Every hitter goes through it.'' His travails notwithstanding, Hudson remains Arizona's resident energizer and fast talker. Reporters who passed by his locker Tuesday were liable to hear him extolling the virtues of Southeastern Conference football or maintaining a running dialogue with the clubhouse TV as his former team, Toronto, played a tight game with Boston at Fenway.

No teammate is immune from Hudson's good-natured jabs. As Byrnes walked into the clubhouse beneath his trademark mop of unruly hair, it created a natural opening.

"Look at him,'' Hudson said. "He combs his hair with a brick.''

Byrnes' image is firmly established, thanks to the hair, his penchant for running into walls and his regular appearances on "The Best Damn Sports Show, Period.'' But the reality is, he has evolved from baseball's resident Human Crash Test Dummy to a very good player, period.

There was a time earlier in Byrnes' career when he was considered death against left-handed pitchers and a soft touch against righties. But he has learned to take a more patient approach and hit the ball the other way, and he studies more video and reads the scouting reports more diligently than anyone wants to believe.

Byrnes' preparation shows in the results. This year, he has an .846 on base-slugging percentage against righties and an .835 OPS vs. lefties.

"You think this is a guy who just goes out there with his hair on fire,'' Melvin said. "But he brings more to the table than just a guy who goes all out and appears to play on emotion. That's not Eric Byrnes.''

Byrnes' new $30 million contract was a major personal milestone in a comeback that began when he was non-tendered by the Baltimore Orioles in December 2005. For a while, he wondered if he would be employed by a big league club, much less starting for a contender.

"That was a difficult time for me, but I knew it was just a matter of finding the right opportunity,'' Byrnes said. "Maybe the Baltimore Orioles gave up on me, but I never gave up on myself.''

We don't really have anybody who's going to put a team on their back for the better part of two weeks and carry it. We're going to need contributions across the board.

--Manager Bob Melvin

Byrnes' zest for life knows no bounds these days. He is the perfect bridge from the departed Luis Gonzalez to the up-and-coming Upton as the face of the Arizona franchise. It's impossible to roam the Chase Field stands without coming across a fan holding a sign reading, "Burn, Baby, Byrnes,'' or something to that effect.

Still, the Arizona fans have been strangely detached during the Diamondbacks' surprising run this season. The D-backs rank 22nd in the major leagues in attendance, and the atmosphere during the big series with San Diego this week has been less than electric. A so-so crowd of 26,063 showed up for Tuesday's game.

Maybe the local fans are like everybody else -- waiting for the Diamondbacks to unravel. But as the O-Dog points out, there are plenty of inspirational sources out there if you just know where to look.

"Nobody thought Appalachian State was going to go into the Big House and beat Michigan, either,'' Hudson said. "They thought Michigan was going to win 73-0, but it didn't happen.''

Can the Diamondbacks go the distance? With every day they hang tough, they make you think that hopeful "maybe'' could evolve into a "yes.'' If the veterans can only lead, the kids will be happy to follow.

Jerry Crasnick covers baseball for ESPN.com. His book "License To Deal" was published by Rodale. Click here to order a copy. Jerry can be reached via e-mail.