HOUSTON -- Call it the Mauricio Dubón revenge game. 

Nearly a year after he was traded from the Giants to the Astros, Dubón emerged as a huge thorn in the side of his former club, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs to carry Houston to a 7-3 win in Monday night’s series opener at Minute Maid Park.
 
Dubón, who batted leadoff and started at second base in place of the injured Jose Altuve, singled, stole second and scored on José Abreu’s RBI single to put the Astros on the board in the first inning and then delivered a game-tying single off Ross Stripling in the fifth.

He capped his night with a go-ahead double off Sean Hjelle in the seventh, kicking off a five-run inning that sealed the Giants’ (11-17) fourth consecutive loss.

“It felt really good, honestly,” Dubón said. “The thing I like about the whole thing is watching the guys behind me. They know what it meant to me to beat these guys, and they were behind me.

“I was not treated the right way over there. Coming here and being a family here and be able to perform the way I’m performing right now, it’s the human side of me coming out.”

A native of Honduras, Dubón came to the United States as a foreign-exchange student and attended Capital Christian High School in Sacramento, where he became a huge Giants fan. He fulfilled a childhood dream by eventually landing with his favorite team, which acquired him from the Brewers in exchange for Drew Pomeranz and Ray Black at the 2019 Trade Deadline.

The versatile Dubón endeared himself to the Giants’ fanbase with his infectious smile and energy, emerging as a valuable contributor due to his ability to bounce between the middle infield and center field. Still, he fell behind Thairo Estrada on the depth chart following a difficult 2021 campaign and entered last year out of options.

With an impending roster crunch last May, the Giants opted to stick with Estrada and deal Dubón to the Astros in exchange for catcher Michael Papierski, who appeared in only five games for San Francisco before being designated for assignment.

The trade has still largely worked out well for both sides. Estrada established himself as an everyday player for the Giants in 2022 and ranks sixth in the Majors with a .333 batting average through 27 games this year. Dubón, meanwhile, won a World Series ring with the Astros last season and has thrived while subbing in for Altuve this year, setting a franchise record with a 20-game hitting streak in April. 

“I think everyone in that situation wants to do really well,” said Joc Pederson, who blasted a two-run shot in the third. “I know he’s playing great, and I’m really happy for him. I enjoy him as a friend. It sucks that it was against us.

"But he’s really blossoming into an everyday player. It’s cool to see. Obviously, he didn’t get as many opportunities here, so I’m sure there’s some built up frustration that he had, and he’s turning into fuel, I guess you could say. I guess you’ve got to tip your cap to him. He basically single-handedly beat us today.”

Dubón’s performance added insult to injury for the Giants, who arrived in Houston still feeling the aftereffects of a challenging two-game series in Mexico City over the weekend. Pederson described the international trip as “hands down” the most difficult one he’s taken in his 10-year career in the Majors, citing the long flight, the time change, the extreme altitude and the heavy traffic that made it difficult for players to recover. 

The physical toll was undeniable for the Giants, who placed center fielder Mike Yastrzemski (left hamstring strain) and shortstop Brandon Crawford (right calf strain) on the 10-day injured list on Monday. Crawford was diagnosed with a Grade 1-plus strain after tweaking his calf in the Mexico City Series opener on Saturday, but he expressed confidence that he’d be able to return after the minimum 10 days.

The Giants feared the worst after watching Yastrzemski limp off the field after attempting to make a diving catch on Sunday, but they felt some measure of relief after an MRI exam showed only a Grade 1 hamstring strain. San Francisco recalled Brett Wisely and Cal Stevenson from Triple-A Sacramento in a pair of corresponding moves, but the loss of Crawford and Yastrzemski will significantly weaken the club up the middle in the coming weeks. 

Given their injuries, the Giants could badly use a player like Dubón. The 28-year-old super utility man feels otherwise. 

“Thank God, they don’t,” Dubón said. “I’m good here. This is my family, and I’m enjoying this every moment.”