Springer Powers Blue Jays Vs Pirates With 5-2 Win
George Springer opened blue jays vs pirates with a leadoff homer on the third pitch, and the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Saturday at the Rogers Centre. Toronto has now won four consecutive games, and it did it against Paul Skenes, who entered with a 2.62 ERA.
Springer’s early strike
Springer jumped on a 97.8-m.p.h. fastball above the zone and sent it out for his fifth home run of the season. It came fast, and it set the tone before Skenes had time to settle in.
The Blue Jays kept adding pressure from there. Jesús Sánchez, Yohendrick Piñango, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Springer each finished with two hits, and Patrick Corbin outdueled Skenes as Toronto controlled the game’s middle innings.
Skenes under pressure
Skenes was chased before the end of the sixth inning after allowing nine hits, four runs and striking out two batters. For a pitcher who went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in his rookie season in 2024 and then struck out 216 batters across 187 2/3 innings while leading the majors with a 1.97 ERA in his sophomore year, this was a rough turn from his usual standard.
Springer said after the game, “He’s elite and he knows how to control every quadrant of the zone.” He also pointed to the Blue Jays’ approach, saying, “Over time, guys were able to stick to their approach, hit some balls that he left over the plate.”
Toronto’s lineup keeps rolling
John Schneider said, “I just like the way we came out early and tried to be aggressive on his fastball,” and added, “We just kind of grind him all day, which is what you have to do.” Springer said, “He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, so I thought it was a good offensive day for us as a whole.”
That fit the stretch Toronto is in. Springer said, “I think our last 15, 16 games have been great,” and the Blue Jays will go for the sweep on Sunday after backing that up with another win over one of baseball’s most difficult starters.
