Paul Skenes almost never lets this happen.

Not once.

And certainly not two games in a row.

But tonight at Rogers Centre, the Toronto Blue Jays did what the rest of MLB had been trying for months: made the Pittsburgh Pirates’ super ace look completely vulnerable. (reuters.com)

And the spark that ignited was George Springer.

Just a few pitches into action, Springer turned Rogers Centre into an earthquake with his 65th career leadoff homer — a swing that not only opened the 5-2 victory for the Toronto Blue Jays but also sent a chilling message to the entire American League: Toronto may truly be waking up.

And what shocked MLB even more?

This is the first time this season Paul Skenes has lost in a row.

The man once considered the most fearsome pitcher in baseball, the Pirates’ nearly untouchable “100 mph monster,” has just been defeated in two consecutive games. That was almost unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

But tonight, the Blue Jays made the impossible a reality.

From Springer’s very first swing, the entire atmosphere of the game changed. Skenes entered Rogers Centre with the aura of a super ace—one who could paralyze the opposing lineup with just velocity and sheer dominance. But Springer, a former World Series MVP and one of the most dangerous leadoff hitters of his generation, attacked immediately.

Boom.

A homer.

A declaration of war.

And Rogers Centre exploded.

According to AP, that was Springer’s 65th career leadoff homer, further solidifying his position among the most dangerous power hitters in MLB history.

But the scariest thing for the Pirates was that Toronto didn’t stop there.

After several back-and-forth innings, the Blue Jays unexpectedly accelerated on inning 6 with a crucial RBI double from Jesús Sánchez, initiating an offensive that completely overwhelmed Skenes. The Pittsburgh ace finished the game with 9 hits hit — his highest number in a single game this season.

It was no longer a typical “bad outing.”

It was a sign that Pittsburgh was starting to worry.

Because Paul Skenes wasn’t just the Pirates’ best pitcher.

He was the entire future hope of the franchise.

Every time Skenes went on mound, the entire baseball team watched. Velocity reached triple digits. Slider was almost inhuman. The aura of a generational ace sent opposing hitters into the batter’s box feeling hopeless. But in recent weeks, cracks have started to appear. And now, for the first time this year, Skenes is experiencing something akin to…a crisis.

That’s extremely rare.

And Toronto took full advantage of it.

While Skenes struggled, the Blue Jays played incredibly cool and mature baseball. Patrick Corbin—once considered a “patchwork” signing—unexpectedly produced one of the best performances of the season with 6 innings, 7 strikeouts, and only 1 earned run.

Bullpen Toronto then completely shut down the rest of the game, while Tyler Heineman delivered another insurance homer on inning 8 to extinguish any hope of a Pirates comeback.

But the stage tonight still belonged to George Springer.

At 36, many believed Springer was past his prime. A series of injuries over the past few seasons have cast serious doubt on his speed and consistency. At one point, Toronto fans even debated whether the Blue Jays should remove him from the leadoff position.

And then Springer responded in a way only he could.

With a home run to open the game.

With leadership.

With the playoff DNA that Toronto desperately needs right now.

According to Canadian Press, the Blue Jays are now on a four-game winning streak and seven of their last ten games — a sign that the team may finally be finding its rhythm after a chaotic start to the season.

That’s what the American League should really be worried about.

Because Toronto’s lineup still includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Still has Bo Bichette.

Still has enough offensive depth to explode at any moment.

If Springer continues to play like this, the Blue Jays could return to being a dangerous contender much faster than many people think.

And what about the Pirates?

This was a night full of ominous questions.

No one doubted Paul Skenes’ talent. Generational pitchers all have their dips. But his first consecutive loss of the season was putting pressure on them, especially as Pittsburgh continued their slump and their offense was barely supporting their young ace.

However, Toronto didn’t care about the Pirates’ long-term woes tonight.

They only knew one thing:

They had just beaten MLB’s most fearsome “monster.”

And they did it with the confidence of a team beginning to believe they could truly get back into the big game.

George Springer started the game with a home run.

But perhaps what he truly initiated… was the revival of the Toronto Blue Jays.