HOUSTON -- On their first day in Houston, the Giants found themselves without their starting shortstop and center fielder. A good potential replacement just so happened to be at Minute Maid Park, but he was in the other dugout.
Mauricio Dubón played both positions for the Giants before being traded last May. It was a disappointing move for a franchise that once thought Dubón could become a key piece in the lineup, and a player who grew up dreaming of wearing orange and black. But the May trade couldn't have worked out better for Dubón, and on Monday night he showed his old team how far he has come.
Dubón was in the middle of every Astros rally in a game the defending champs won 7-3. He scored their first run, tied it up with an RBI single in the fifth, and gave the Astros the lead with an RBI double in the seventh. Afterward, Dubón didn't hold back, telling reporters that his teammates knew "what it meant to me to beat these guys" and adding that in San Francisco he "was not treated the right way."
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"You'd think I would probably get more playing time," he said when asked to elaborate. "With Dusty (Baker) here now, I'm in heaven."
The performance was the kind the Giants hoped for when they acquired Dubón from Milwaukee during a frenetic trade deadline in 2019. Three years later, with Dubón out of options and the coaching staff out of patience for his mental mistakes on the field, Dubón was sent to the Astros for Michael Papierski, who played just five games in San Francisco.
In Houston, Dubón has become a World Series champion and a key swing piece for Baker. Dubón primarily played outfield last season, but when Jose Altuve got hurt during the World Baseball Classic, he became Houston's starting second baseman. He was atop their lineup Monday in a game he had long circled on his calendar, raising his average to .317 with three hits.
Dubón's final hit proved to be the game-winner. His RBI double sparked a five-run seventh inning for the Astros.
"I knew I was going to have a big moment in the game," he said. "I didn't let the emotions get to me. I put a good swing and did what I've been doing the whole season, just hit the ball the other way."
The start was Dubon's 24th of the season at second base. After adding muscle in the offseason, he had a 20-game hitting streak in April to become a mainstay for Baker, and before Monday's game, the player who spent his teenage years in Sacramento said he feels at home in Houston.
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"It's been fun, especially playing behind (Altuve) and having the best hitter in the league next to me," he said, pointing at Yordan Alvarez's locker. "I'm just trying to be more receptive to what they have to say, which has helped. The camaraderie these guys have is great. Everybody is pulling for each other and wanting to be successful, and that's been the neat part of this team."
Dubon spent parts of four seasons with the Giants, but he didn't always see eye-to-eye with Kapler, who grew frustrated with Dubón's mistakes on the bases. After watching Dubón destroy his current group, Kapler didn't seem particularly surprised.
"Obviously Mauricio is a great athlete and has always been a good contact hitter," he said. "He found a way to put some balls in play with authority and had himself a nice game and hurt us."
As he stood at his locker Monday afternoon, Dubón said he hasn't really followed his old team since being traded, with the exception of two friends. Dubón has known Logan Webb since they were both teenagers and formed a quick bond with Brandon Crawford, a player he grew up idolizing. He sent Webb a congratulatory text when he received a contract extension last month and sent Crawford a message over the weekend when he hit a 482-foot homer in Mexico City.
"Every time he has a good day or good play, I text him," Dubón said. "When he hit that home run, I texted him 'Damn, the balls are flying there.' Everybody asks me who is the one guy who has helped me the most in my career and it's been him. He's been very influential in the big leagues for me."
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Dubón said he wasn't looking forward to facing Webb on Wednesday, and he won't get to interact with Crawford on the bases as he hoped. The Giants put their shortstop on the IL on Monday with a right calf strain, but Crawford will be watching closely as Dubón takes on his former team this week. He said he's happy to see how much success Dubón is having in Houston.
"He's doing great," Crawford said. "I'm sure the Astros thought they were in a tough spot losing Altuve, but he's stepped up and done an awesome job."
Crawford paused and smiled.
"Hopefully we get him out," he added.
On their first night facing him, the Giants hardly did, and both Ross Stripling and Joc Pederson said afterward that Dubon nearly beat them singlehandedly. He thoroughly enjoyed it, too.
After the win, it was pointed out by an Astros reporter that the Giants could use a player like Dubón right now given the injuries to Crawford and Yastrzemski.
"Thank God they don't. Thank God they don't," he said. "I'm good here. I'm good here. It's been a family and I'm enjoying every moment."