Wanting to get his starting center fielder up to speed after a hitless season-opening road trip, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny moved Peter Bourjos up to No. 2 in the order, a spot that has spurred struggling batters before.

And, in doing so, he offered a different rev to the lineup.

“A lot of it is just trying to get Peter going,” Matheny said. “We’ve got to get him moving. It hasn’t shown up statistically but he’s got a real nice swing going. You’re seeing things he worked on all through spring, just not getting results.”

Bourjos responded with a single in the first inning and a double in the seventh inning, his first two hits as a Cardinal. He scored each time he was on base in the Cardinals’ 5-3 victory at Busch Stadium against Cincinnati, and he showed fleeting hints at how his running ability could alter the Cardinals’ offense. In the seventh, his double found a hole created by the defense squeezing in to speed up their throws to first.

In previous games against lefties like the Reds’ Tony Cingrani, Matheny had started righthanded hitter Jhonny Peralta in the No. 2 spot. Bourjos offered another righty to put in that spot and could earn the nod by showing a stronger ability to get on base.