"All it took to get Nate McLouth going was dropping him to the bottom of the Braves' batting order.

Actually, the Braves center fielder thinks the timing of his little surge and being dropped from the No. 2 spot was coincidental. But he sure won't complain about hitting in the 8-hole.

"It doesn't matter where I'm hitting, I just feel like I've had good at-bats," said McLouth, who hit .320 with three doubles and three RBIs in the past seven games before Monday night's series opener against San Diego, including a two-out, tie-breaking, two-run single in the 10th inning of Sunday's 9-6 win at San Francisco.

McLouth hit .217 before he was dropped from the 2-hole on April 17, when manager Fredi Gonzalez moved Jason Heyward up from sixth to second.

"I didn't feel like I was having bad at-bats earlier, I just feel like now I'm starting to roll a little bit," McLouth said. "I think it's coincidence, though, as far as moving in the order."

Whatever it is, he and the Braves hope it continues. McLouth had the biggest at-bat of their young season on Sunday, taking two strikes to run the count full against Giants closer Brian Wilson before his bases-loaded single to center. He hit seventh Sunday because rookie shortstop Brandon Hicks was in the 8-hole.

McLouth was back hitting eighth for Monday's game. He had a .438 average (7-for-16) with three doubles and a .550 on-base percentage in five games in the 8-hole."