CINCINNATI -- Blake DeWitt received a second consecutive day in the Chicago Cubs starting lineup Tuesday and both opportunities appeared to be rooted in his success against Cincinnati Reds starter Bronson Arroyo.

DeWitt is 9-for-25 (.360) with two home runs and four RBIs in his career against Arroyo, the Reds starter in Tuesday’s opener of a three-game series. His start Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies was manager Dale Sveum’s way to get DeWitt on the ground and running heading into the matchup with Arroyo.

“It was just a time to get [DeWitt] two days in a row and get [Darwin] Barney a couple of days off,” Sveum said. “Barney’s still going to play every day for the most part. [DeWitt's] numbers against Arroyo are just too good to sit him. He has to play in a game like this when his numbers are that good off somebody.”


DeWitt wasn’t trying to make a big deal over a rare chance to have some success at the plate. He did get a hit Monday, just his third of the season.

“It’s nice to get hits any time, whether you’re playing every day or not, but the idea is to put good at-bats together,” DeWitt said. “Sometimes results we can’t control, but we can control having good at-bats consistently. That’s everybody’s focus.”

It was just DeWitt’s fifth start of the season, with four of those coming at second base. The other was in left field.

The Cubs’ full lineup Tuesday against the Reds:

David DeJesus, RF
Tony Campana, CF
Starlin Castro, SS
Bryan LaHair, 1B
Alfonso Soriano, LF
Ian Stewart, 3B
DeWitt, 2B
Geovany Soto, C
Jeff Samardzija, P