SAN FRANCISCO -- Jeff McNeil didn’t try to hide his emotions.

With runners at the corners and one out in the fourth, McNeil grounded into an inning-ending double play. Shortstop Brandon Crawford worked his defensive magic, fielding McNeil’s grounder, sprinting to second base and then firing to first on the run to complete the twin killing. As has been the theme lately, New York couldn’t capitalize.

As first baseman Brandon Belt squeezed the ball, McNeil ripped off his helmet and slammed it to the ground, throwing it with such force that it rolled to the infield’s warning track. The moment summarized not just the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Giants on Tuesday at Oracle Park, but the last couple weeks. New York is below .500 for the first time since May 5, and to be under par this far into the season, well, that doesn’t bode well for any odds the Mets have at the postseason.

“We are in a tough situation. That’s the reality,” said manager Luis Rojas. “We’ve been having some struggles. We’ve had a lot of tough losses. We know what’s happening when we lose a game.”

While the postseason once seemed like a lock, the Mets now find themselves on the outside looking in. The Braves have won five straight games. The Phillies rattled off eight straight wins to begin the month and firmly inserted themselves into the playoff hunt. For the second Wild Card spot -- the first will, more than likely, go to the Giants or Dodgers -- there’s the likes of the Padres, Reds and Cardinals to contend with.

Before Monday’s game, Baseball-Reference had the Mets’ odds of making the postseason at 5.9 percent. Before Tuesday’s game, that number was down to 3.6.

Marcus Stroman certainly did his best to put New York in a position to win. The right-hander threw 114 pitches to get through seven innings of three-run ball, the first time he’s thrown that many pitches in more than four years, giving an exhausted bullpen some much-needed rest.

“That’s my goal, to always go deep into games,” Stroman said. “That’s my mindset each and every start. Even though I may not make it there some starts, that’s definitely my mindset.”

Stroman had a nightmarish beginning to his start, allowing two runs after facing just two batters. LaMonte Wade Jr. led off the first with a single, then Tommy La Stella hit a two-run shot into New York’s bullpen, giving the Mets an early two-run deficit.

From there, Stroman pretty much cruised, holding San Francisco’s offense in check from innings two through six. At one point, Stroman struck out four straight batters.

By the end of the sixth inning, Stroman was at 100 pitches, which was already his season high. Curiously enough, Stroman was left in the game. But the decision to leave Stroman in immediately came back to bite when, on his 102nd pitch, he allowed a solo home run to Evan Longoria that ended up being the difference in the game.

“I thought Stroman threw the ball really well,” Rojas said. “It’s just two mistakes that turn into three runs.”

And these days, the room for mistakes is minute, especially given the personnel New York is missing.

Jacob deGrom is still in the midst of a two-week shutdown. Rojas said prior to Tuesday’s game that Francisco Lindor, Javier Báez and Luis Guillorme will likely soon head out on rehab assignments. Noah Syndergaard could be back in September, but it would likely be as a reliever. Since the All-Star break, the bullpen has been taxed and the offense has been below league average.

“It’s just been a really difficult stretch,” said first baseman Pete Alonso, who was responsible for the Mets’ only runs with a two-run homer. “We want to win. We want to be the best. That’s why we’re all here. I think that it’s frustrating right now, but I think that we’re going to be in a very good place come the end of the year. I know that’s going to be our goal, and because we’re not meeting that now doesn’t mean that we’re not going to be there at the end of the year.”

Alonso seldom lacks for optimism, but the reality is staring the Mets in the face. The opportunities to bounce back are diminishing. Mathematically speaking, Wednesday isn’t a must-win. But if the Mets were to be swept in back-to-back series by the Dodgers and Giants at this juncture, the room for optimism only further dissipates.