SAN DIEGO — On Saturday, Freddy Fermin strutted out of the batter’s box and pounded his chest. On Sunday, he tossed his bat with both hands and waved his right arm. On Monday, he galloped down the first-base line before turning and grinning.This was how the San Diego Padres catcher celebrated his first home runs of the season with a suddenly energized dugout.“I feel happy,” Fermin said after Monday’s 6-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds, “and most importantly, I also feel very confident.”On Friday, Fermin might not have felt either of those emotions. He entered the weekend as the No. 9 hitter in the majors’ worst offense. He owned the lowest OPS among all players with at least 100 plate appearances. Less than a year after he joined an ambitious franchise with a shrinking window, he represented an obvious disappointment in a lineup filled with them.Then, one swing changed what seemed like everything. Or did it start with the sacrifice bunt he laid down Saturday after he’d popped up an attempt and before he finally went deep? Perhaps it was the recent reassurance from a rookie manager attempting to inspire a floundering roster?“We’re talking with all these guys and trying to build them up, build them up,” Craig Stammen said late Monday. “And you wonder what comes first. Does success come first and then confidence, or can confidence come first and then that leads to success? Nobody really knows the complete answer to that, but we’re trying to breed that confidence in all these guys.”