Journey back 33 games with me. Let’s call it a tour of perspective, a reminder of just how much can happen in a month-plus on a baseball schedule.
Thirty-three games ago, the Mets won for the only time in a four-game series in San Francisco that would prove to be among the most critical series in the majors this season. The Giants’ three victories were all in extra innings, giving them a greater sense of magic during a phase in which they lost only three times in 20 games. That convinced the front office to hold onto Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith, in particular, severely altering what was expected to be available at the trade deadline.