PHOENIX — Late in the Chicago Cubs’ 10-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, Nico Hoerner hustled into second base to beat out a throw from third baseman Eugenio Suárez, giving Matt Shaw an infield single. It was one of many impressive base-running feats for the Cubs, prompting one Phoenix-based reporter to comment on how much speed this Cubs team seemed to have.

It may not be what many expected to be the identity of this team, but base running was a focus of manager Craig Counsell when he went about hiring his base coaches, Quintin Berry and Jose Javier. Berry, the Cubs third-base coach, spent the previous four seasons as the Milwaukee Brewers first-base coach and is known for his base-running acumen. Javier, hired to man the first-base side, was a coach with the New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate who focused on outfield defense and base running. Both were a big part in spreading Counsell’s message this spring that base running would be an emphasis. And in the Cubs’ first victory of the season, it proved to be a difference-maker.

In the fifth inning of Thursday’s win, with the Cubs clinging to a one-run lead, Pete Crow-Armstrong beat out a throw to second on a ball that never left the infield. It loaded the bases for Miguel Amaya, who promptly lined a double to center field, giving the Cubs a four-run cushion.

“They add up,” Counsell said of that seemingly small play. “You’re not going to get the big hit every night, but when you get a three-run hit after a play like that, that’s the reason you do it.”

This aggressive approach will lead to excitement and extra bases. But Counsell admitted it could also lead to extra outs at times. That happens when a team tries to use speed to its advantage. It happened during Friday’s 8-1 loss to the Diamondbacks when Crow-Armstrong was picked off first after drawing a one-out walk in the fourth. They were also unable to get that big hit after Kyle Tucker stole second in the fifth and took third after an errant throw, but no two-out hit followed.

A rough outing for Jameson Taillon, who allowed six runs on nine hits — including two home runs by Cubs killer Suárez — and an offense that mustered just three hits and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position sunk the team.

“We’re gonna shake this one off and come back tomorrow,” catcher Carson Kelly said.

Friday’s game won’t be one they look back on fondly. But seeing the little things pay off Thursday will encourage the team to continue to buy into what was preached all spring.

“When you talk about something all spring training and harp on these things and they’re able to see the results so early,” Berry said, “it gives us a huge advantage to keep working towards what we talked about, what our team is supposed to be made of and who we have to be to compete in this game. It’s great for the guys to experience it early.”

To score a lot of runs, most teams need power to be a big part of their game. The Cubs will need that, too. But the extra-base hit will be hard to come by at times. There will be days when the wind blows in at Wrigley Field and it seems impossible to send anything into the seats. That’s when this dedication to finding any way to steal a run could become especially valuable.

“Effort only goes so far in the batter’s box or defensively,” Hoerner said. “Trying harder doesn’t really help a lot of the time. But taking that level of focus and effort to the basepaths is a big deal. It’s a part of the game that shouldn’t waver too much. When it becomes a part of the culture of the team, it’s not something that needs to be policed by (Counsell) or from up top, it’s something that’s just part of what you do and what it means to be a Cub.”

There are mechanical aspects that Berry, Javier and Matt Talarico — a base-running coach who works in player development after spending the last few years as a speed and base-running coach in the New York Yankees organization — emphasized during spring training. Running style, big secondary leads and general situational awareness are all important. But it’s the mental aspect Berry and company seem to focus on.

“You gotta want to do it,” Berry said. “There are a lot of things that happen in this game that are hard with the ups and downs. You can feel sorry for yourself or get caught in your own head. But for you to get out there when it’s not going to show up on the stat sheet, to do something for the team is huge. So it’s all in the mind.”

With Hoerner, Shaw and Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs have legit speed on the roster. Tucker and Dansby Swanson are plus base runners. Outside of the catcher spot, there just aren’t any regulars who clog up the bases. This roster is built to be the type of team that can wreak havoc on the basepaths. By putting these thoughts in the mind of the opponent, it can also lead to rushed throws or distracted pitchers.

Team president Jed Hoyer has talked a lot about the need to outperform projections. Teams that can win on the margins and do the little things often can do that. Perhaps if the Cubs can make that what they’re all about, they can find a way to get back to October.

“Fight for every inch,” Berry said. “Our guys have to understand you have to be engaged. It’s very difficult to stay engaged and understand there’s opportunities to win with two outs, getting to the next base, doing things that are selfless and being there for your teammates. Score from first. Score from second with two outs. Win those moments. Our guys are really trying to take that all in and make that our identity.”

(Photo of Josh Naylor beating Ian Happ to first base Friday: Norm Hall / Getty Images)

Sahadev Sharma is a staff writer for The Athletic and covers the Chicago Cubs. Previously, Sahadev was a national baseball writer for Baseball Prospectus and ESPN Chicago. Follow Sahadev on Twitter @sahadevsharma