Giants' Chris Heston pitches complete game in 8-1 win against Astros

HOUSTON - Chris Heston was glad he was given the opportunity to go back out to the mound in the ninth inning.

He was even happier that he was able to capitalize on the chance.

Heston’s first career complete game was a two-hitter and he struck out 10 as the San Francisco Giants won for the third time in four games with an 8-1 victory against the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

“That was awesome,” Heston said of starting the ninth. “I will remember that forever.”

Matt Duffy had three hits and drove in five runs for the Giants. It was the most RBIs by a Giants rookie since Buster Posey had six July 7, 2010, at Milwaukee.

Heston (3-3), a rookie who retired the last 22 batters, has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his seven starts this season.

“I had times where I got into little grooves, and luckily, I got into one there,” Heston said. “I had good innings back-to-back, so that helped a lot.”

Heston was the first Giants rookie to throw a complete game with 10 strikeouts since Roger Mason on Oct. 4, 1985, against Atlanta.

“He really had his stuff working,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Heston. “He had a great breaking ball to go with that sinker. He threw a lot of strikes out there and kept them off balance.”

Duffy had a 3-run double in the second inning and added a 2-run single as part of a 5-run fifth. Angel Pagan had three hits for San Francisco, which scored a season-high eight runs.

“I’m just seeing the ball well and not thinking too much,” Duffy said. “It feels good, especially today putting up runs like that. When a pitcher pitches a game the way Heston did, it feels good to put up that many runs for him.”

Jason Castro homered in the second inning for Houston.

“We weren’t very disciplined,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “That’s the disappointing part. We just had no action. He (Heston) pitched, and we really didn’t counter with a ton of back-to-back quality plate appearances.”

The Giants made it 5-1 after loading the bases in the fifth. After Brandon Belt struck out for the second out, Jason Maxwell had an infield single to shortstop Marwin Gonzalez, whose throw to second was errant, allowing Joe Panik and Pagan to score.

Brandon Crawford followed Maxwell with an RBI double to center before Duffy’s single made it 8-1.

Collin McHugh (4-1) lost for the first time since August 2014. He allowed seven runs - three earned - and seven hits in 42/3 innings. The loss snapped McHugh’s streak of 11 consecutive decisions with a win.

“It was pretty much tough from the get-go,” McHugh said.