With just about 40 games left in the regular season the San Francisco Giants can take some comfort in the fact that their series with Atlanta is finally over, a few of their guys are still healthy, and they get to play the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Houston currently holds the worst record in baseball at 40-84 and are 5-11 in the month of August thus far. Their trade deadline fire sale didn't help their cause either, losing Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn to playoff contenders as the team settled in to another woeful season. The Giants haven't been lighting it up either, winners of just five of their last 19 games, but sport an MLB best 27-14 record at Minute Maid Park since it's inception. The difference is the Giants spent the cash and have the personnel to win now, they simply just aren't doing it.
After the Braves series, the Giants have only one team left to face the rest of the season currently with a winning record, the Arizona Diamondbacks. They will play six times before the end of the regular season, essentially making or breaking the NL West's fate in those meetings. They will also play 21 more home games this year, meaning that they still have a great shot at making the playoffs, they just need to figure out how to win some ballgames.
The Giants still don't know if Jonathan Sanchez will be good to go for his start on Sunday, but whoever gets the nod, will be facing former Giant prospect Henry Sosa who came over in part of the Jeff Keppinger trade. Houston currently has 12 rookies on it's 25-man roster, the most in all of baseball.