SAN DIEGO — The Mets acquired a ground-ball reliever just as their ground-ball reliever-turned-starter took the mound for his Wednesday afternoon outing against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Maybe the solution to the bullpen was there all along.

After a frenetic trade deadline came and went, let’s take stock of who maximized their World Series chances and who could have done more (or less).

St. Louis has dropped 4 of its past 5 games, including the last 2, after a 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins Wednesday as a -124 home favorite. The Cardinals managed 5 hits but left 8 runners on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.