San Francisco @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2011 ) San Francisco 0, Houston 6

THE STORY: If the San Francisco Giants hope to have a chance to defend their World Series title in the playoffs, they are going to have to string a few hits together eventually. The punchless attack has been shut out two nights in a row and remains 2 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. The starting pitching is still strong, but no support has meant losses in 12 of 18 games this month. The Houston Astros are riding a three-game winning streak, their longest spurt since taking four straight from May 30-June 2. One of the rookies being looked at by the Astros down the stretch is righthander Jordan Lyles, who will get the ball on Saturday night when Houston welcomes the Giants to Minute Maid Park once again.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSBA (San Francisco), FSH (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Jordan Lyles (1-7, 5.31 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (7-11, 3.49 ERA).

Lyles may be starting to tire at the end of a long season. Since notching his first major-league win on August 3, the 20-year old has been lit up for 14 runs and 19 hits over 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts. Lyles is at 143 2/3 innings total between the majors and minors this season, 15 innings shy of his minor-league total from 2010.

Bumgarner has posted quality starts in eight of his last 10 turns, including a two-run, seven inning performance at Atlanta on Monday that resulted in a no-decision. The 22-year old has yielded only eight home runs this season, but four have come in his past five starts. Bumgarner has never faced Houston.

ABOUT THE ASTROS (41-84): Red-hot Houston has virtually no chance of finishing anywhere but last in both the NL Central and the major leagues as a whole, allowing it the freedom to play as many young players as possible. The latest to step up has been Brian Bogusevic. A 2005 first-round draft pick as a left-handed pitcher, Bogusevic made the switch to outfield a few seasons ago and has finally gotten his chance. The Tulane product hit a walk-off grand slam in Tuesday’s win over the Cubs, followed it up with a bases-loaded double the next night and added a solo shot in Friday’s 6-0 triumph over the Giants. Bogusevic also snuffed out San Francisco’s lone rally when he threw out Aubrey Huff at home to end the second inning.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (67-59): Luckily for San Francisco, Arizona has scuffled a bit recently as well, keeping the deficit in the NL West at 2 1/2 games. That appears to be the only race left for the Giants, who fell seven games behind the Atlanta Braves in the wild card chase with Friday’s setback. San Francisco has managed just five hits in each of the last two contests and is averaging 1.3 runs in its last 15 losses. The schedule is still in the Giants’ favor, with two more against the Astros followed by nine straight home games against San Diego, Houston and the Chicago Cubs.

FINAL PITCH: Part of San Francisco’s problem on offense is a rapidly expanding disabled list. Eli Whiteside was placed on the seven-day DL on Friday with concussion symptoms. Pablo Sandoval also sat out Friday’s contest with a sore left shoulder. Carlos Beltran, who has been out since August 7 with a strained right hand, plans to take batting practice on Saturday for the first time since suffering the injury.