Before this season started, we were promised one thing: The Giants would have a good bullpen. Yes, the offense would underwhelm, and the starting pitchers would disappoint. But at least we could breathe easy in the late innings—and as any Giants fan who experienced the trauma of October 2016 will tell you, that’s worth something, even in a lost season.
And for a while, that’s exactly what we got, and it was great! Will Smith was perfect in save situations, the Giants were winning one-run games in bunches, and except for the occasional Nick Vincent Opener Experiment, there were few blowups or disappointments.