SAN FRANCISCO – Tonight isn’t the first time James Wood has hit leadoff for the Nationals. It’s actually the eighth time this season.

But in each of the previous seven instances, it was just as much about who wasn’t playing that night (CJ Abrams) as it was about Wood himself. That makes Miguel Cairo’s lineup for tonight’s series opener against the Giants different, because both of his young top-of-the-order players are starting. They’re just swapping places in the batting order.

Wood, who has been mired in the first extended slump of his career, will come up to bat first at Oracle Park. Abrams, who has also cooled off after a strong first half but not to the same extent, will bat behind him in the 2 spot.

“I just told myself I’m going to do something different,” Cairo said. “I want to give Woody a little more, hitting at the top, maybe he see a few more fastballs. He’s going to get maybe another at-bat (in the ninth inning). I just want to change things a little bit around.”

Wood’s slump has now surpassed the 100-plate-appearance mark. Over his last 24 games, he’s batting .122 with one homer, four RBIs, 10 walks and 41 strikeouts. That prolonged slide has dropped his OPS from .958 on July 3 to .840 entering tonight’s game.

“Like I’ve said before: This is the first time he’s played for so long,” Cairo said. “And he went to the All-Star Game, did the Home Run Derby. And now he’s been struggling a little bit. It’s part of the game. He just needs to figure out how they’re pitching him, how he can come back to the strike zone, because he’s going away, trying to do too much.”

Over that same stretch, Abrams has slashed .232/.287/.384, a notable drop from his .286/.356/.488 line up until that point.

Perhaps as intriguing as the change in the top two spots in tonight’s lineup is the change in the No. 3 spot: Brady House is getting his first career start in that prominent position. The rookie third baseman, who has mostly hit sixth so far since his promotion from Triple-A Rochester, gets his first crack to move up in the order against Giants opener Matt Gage, even though House has better numbers against righties (.689 OPS) than lefties (.396).

“I know he’s been struggling with lefties,” Cairo said. “He’s been working really hard. He hit lefties before in the minor leagues. Right now, he just needs to make an adjustment how they’re pitching him. Sometimes when you’re a young kid and you’re coming to the big leagues quick, you’re trying too much. Instead, back off a little bit, 'Be who I am' … and go from there.”

House hasn’t been completely unproductive in his first 37 games in the big leagues. He’s got six doubles and 18 RBIs. But he’s hit only two homers to date, both of them coming in the same July 12 game in Milwaukee. His slugging percentage has plummeted from .453 in the minors to .333 in the majors.

“I think he’s kind of going through some tests in the big leagues,” Cairo said. “Pitchers make adjustments on hitters. He’s just got to make his adjustment, get good at-bats and make sure he’s seeing his pitch more than the pitcher’s pitch. He’s going to be fine. I know he’s going to hit. We just have to make sure he keeps working and keeps getting better.”