04/23/2008 1:35 AM ET Lewis has cemented his spot in lineup Leadoff man responds by leading club in several categories By Chris Haft / MLB.com

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Lewis' place in left field was cemented after Dave Roberts went on the disabled list on April 8 with an injured left knee. But manager Bruce Bochy had indicated before then that Lewis would play more frequently. Lewis has responded to his increased activity by batting .317 and taking club-high totals in runs (nine) and on-base percentage (.379) into Tuesday night's series finale against the Diamondbacks.

He added to those totals against D-backs ace Brandon Webb in his first two at-bats on Tuesday, singling twice and scoring a pair of runs.

Lewis also notched an RBI double in the eighth. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games and is batting .386 (17-for-44) in that stretch.

When Bochy said of Lewis, "We had the right guy up there," after the left-handed batter grounded into a double play to end a seventh-inning rally on Monday, that confirmed Lewis' rising status.

Bochy elaborated on his remark Tuesday by describing Lewis as a complete hitter, although he's still learning his craft. "He's got discipline, he can hit the ball out of the ballpark and he goes the other way well," Bochy said. "When you get in that situation, you want one of your hotter hitters up there and we [did]."

Lewis, 27, relishes his role. "Getting used to playing every day again feels great," he said.

Lewis is also aware that opponents might begin pitching him differently, although he hasn't noticed any dramatic changes so far. The D-backs, he said, have pitched him inside since he was in the Minor Leagues. The St. Louis Cardinals, whom the Giants already have faced in two series, continued to pitch him mostly outside.

"Once I face a team enough, I can figure out what they're trying to do on the whole," Lewis said. "Right now, I'm not trying to think about it. I'm just trying to see the ball and hit it. Keep it simple, make it easy on yourself."

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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