SF Giants try odd new hodge-podge lineup vs. Padres as slugger remains on the bench

The SF Giants begin the first of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Monday night. The team is rolling with an unorthodox lineup down in San Diego, but with how the first three games of the regular season went, why not?

The Giants scored one run total in the Opening Weekend series against the New York Yankees so things can only get better from here...right? This is the lineup the Giants will trot out to face right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler.

SF Giants shake up the lineup for first game of series vs. Padres

It's a strange configuration, to be sure. Adames goes from batting sixth on Saturday to batting leadoff today. Is it because he has owned Walker Buehler in his career? No. He has no hits in five plate appearances and has struck out three times.

Also, Arraez moves down to the cleanup spot in the order which is interesting as well. In the first two games of the season he hit leadoff but when that configuration produced a grand total of zero runs, the Giants moved him to No. 3 in the lineup on Saturday.

He's a unique hitter in that one could make an argument for him to hit almost anywhere in the order and until the Giants start scoring some runs, yes, plural, if I can be so bold, they are probably going to keep moving him around until they find something that works.

Another interesting change is batting Matt Chapman fifth. That would not be all that odd if this was last season as he batted cleanup or fifth the majority of the year, but he hit second in the lineup in each of the first three games. Clearly that did not work.

Notably, Jerar Encarnacion remains on the bench. The tall right-handed slugger tore the cover off the ball in spring training but the Giants have opted to go with Schmitt at first base to begin the year because they view him as a superior defender at first base even though he is typically a middle infielder or third baseman. He is there as Rafael Devers recovers from a hamstring issue.

The Giants will go with defense for now, but if Schmitt continues to do nothing at the plate then at some point the Giants are going to have to insert Encarnacion into the order to see if he can provide some sort of boost.

It seems manager Tony Vitello and his coaching staff are shaking up the Etch A Sketch and seeing if this new lineup will draw any different results.