I’m going to be honest. This is not how the realist in me saw the month of July going for the San Francisco Giants.

The team was 36-47. I was mentally preparing myself to count the days until I would have to cry in a dark room and mourn the departure of Madison Bumgarner when July 1st came around. I was envisioning the great mastermind that is Bruce Bochy saying a farewell at the last home game with a roster half-full of names I had never heard of, and probably would never hear from again. I would then trudge into the fall and winter, praying to the Lord above the Lakers don’t let me down…again.

Then, like a light switch, they turned it on.

And I mean REALLY turned it on.

Thanks to the jolting successes of Alex Dickerson and Mike Yastrzemski, alongside the return some classic Giants pitching from both the starters and the bullpen, the orange and black went 19-6 to fully position themselves as legitimate contenders for a Wild Card spot. Everything in classic Giant fashion: great pitching all around, a few unlikely heroes (like, insanely unlikely), fantastic team defense, and steady contributions from the households.

Evil genius Farhan Zaidi rewarded the team and the fan base by not only improving the current roster without trading away the likes of Bumgarner and reliever Will Smith, but bolstering it for the future should things not come to fruition this season.

An aged Drew Pomeranz and a disappointing Ray Black for Milwaukee’s infield prospect Mauricio Dubon should have Zaidi wanted for theft.

The return for Sam Dyson to Minnesota wasn’t as plentiful, but the Giants had just too many coveted relievers to not make any kind of deals, plus outfielder Jaylin Davis could have potential down the line.

Acquiring Joe McCarthy, another outfield prospect, from Tampa Bay is another low-risk move that could have value further down the Giant timeline.

Sending cash and a player to be named later for Reds’ second baseman Scooter Gennett is another low-risk, potentially high reward scenario. Gennett was an All-Star last season whose 2019 campaign has unfortunately been derailed by injury thus far. But with Joe Panik continuing to struggle and Donovan Solano not having a track record for long term big league success, Gennett reclaiming that All-Star production could bode extremely well for a now Dickerson-less Giant offense.

Lastly, Zaidi sent reliever Mark Melancon to Atlanta for two minor league pitchers. Although trading Melancon seems a bit odd to some considering the Giants are still in the hunt, the Braves agreed to take on the entirety of the roughly $18.3 million he is still owed via his 4-year deal with San Francisco. If I wasn’t already pleased enough for his largely underwhelming stint with the Giants to be over, the Braves taking on the rest of his deal is icing on top of my “Goodbye Mark, Thanks for Nothing” cake.

The Giants did drop 2-3 in Philly to start off August, which sucks and moves them to 2.5 games behind a Wild Card spot. Again, losing Dickerson could temporarily flatten the team in multiple areas. And even though Will Smith is still here, late innings without Dyson and Melancon could get hairy.

They kick off what should be another offensively mind-boggling series in Colorado tonight, then head home for three games against Washington and then four with the Phils.

The way I see it, this could be the season right here. If the Giants drop both NL East series, the gap could be too tough to close later on, especially with the always competitive NL West teams that crowd their remaining schedule. With two more Dodgers’ series and away trips to Wrigley, Busch, and Fenway left on the schedule, the Giants need to plant their feet now before the storm hits.

But they appear ready. And as long as Madison Bumgarner stands, there is no team in Major League baseball that wants to face him in the postseason. And they damn sure don’t want to see him in an elimination game.

Onward through August.