Rookie Rodriguez a bright spot for scuffling Giants

SAN FRANCISCO – On a day when so much went wrong -- again -- for the Giants, rookie Jesus Rodriguez injected a bit of life into an otherwise slumbering offense at Oracle Park on Wednesday.

One day after recording his first hit and first home run in the Majors, Rodriguez showed that his big game wasn’t a fluke.

The 24-year-old rookie provided fans at Oracle Park with some of the few highlights that the Giants had during a 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres in the series finale, rapping out two more hits to raise his batting average to .444 after three games in the bigs.

Small sample size for sure, but one that the Giants are more than willing to embrace.

“I’m not surprised,” Giants third baseman Matt Chapman said. “I got a glimpse of him a little bit last year here and in Spring Training. He’s got a good swing.

“The impressive part is the fact that when you do get called up to the big leagues and get to make your debut and do things, it can go fast and it can be a lot of emotions. It seems like he’s got it under control. He takes solid at-bats every time. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the lineup every day.”

That would be no surprise to anyone if it did happen.

The Giants entered Wednesday with one of the least productive offenses in the Majors. First-year manager Tony Vitello’s team is last in runs scored (115), RBIs (110), home runs (23) and walks drawn (72) while combining for a collective average of .238.

With a few exceptions, the issues have come across the board and up and down the lineup.

Casey Schmitt had been wielding the hottest bat in the Giants lineup until going 0-for-4, ending his own seven-game hitting streak.

Chapman, who has had six seasons with 21 or more home runs, went 0-for-3 Wednesday as his average fell to .234. He’s only homered once and has more walks drawn (14) than RBIs (12).

“I was getting a lot of hits [early], but I think there’s not as much power as I really wanted,” Chapman said. “I think that I started maybe trying to do a little bit too much at the plate. What comes with that is swing and miss and maybe getting outside of what you’re doing. I need to get back to just shortening it up and finding the barrel and then trusting that the power will come.”

Chapman clearly isn’t the only Giants player who has not played up to expectations offensively. Vitello senses there’s an overall issue plaguing most of the hitters.

“I think a little bit of a theme for all our hitters is just being ready late,” Vitello said. “That’s probably a theme for every hitter across the country.”

Giants slugger Rafael Devers has been sputtering at the plate all season, although he demolished a 2-0 fastball from Padres reliever Matt Waldron for a home run leading off the fifth, an opposite-field blast that was Devers’ third homer of the season and first since April 8. It also extended Devers’ hitting streak to seven games.

Rodriguez said he’s been trying to maintain the same approach in the Majors that he had in the Minors, an approach that earned him his first invitation to the big leagues.

“Always trying to get better every day, trying to get more selective with the pitches that I swing at,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just confidence in myself. I don’t get too hyped. I want to keep everything neutral the whole way and try to do the best job I can every day.”