This wasn't supposed to happen. Tarik Skubal is the reigning AL Cy Young winner, a guy who makes lineups look silly on a nightly basis. You circle his start on the schedule and pencil in a tough night for the offense. Goldschmidt had other plans. First at-bat, first pitch philosophy — Goldy put him in the seats immediately and the tone was set.
Goldschmidt greets Skubal with a first-homer welcome party.
One homer off Skubal is an upset. Two homers off Skubal in the same game is a statement. Goldschmidt came back up later in the game and did it again — same result, different inning, same damage. The internet predictably lost its mind.
The second Goldschmidt homer off Skubal, confirming the damage was not a fluke.
Goldschmidt wasn't even the only Giant going deep off Skubal. The player the internet has dubbed "Martian" also went yard off the Tigers ace in what turned into a legitimate launching pad of a game. Meanwhile the pitching side held up — Weathers was described as rock solid, and the backend of the bullpen with Doval, Cruz, and Bednar slammed the door.
The "Martian" joins Goldschmidt with a homer off Skubal to pile on the damage.
San Francisco takes the series in Detroit. According to post-game reaction, the Giants sit at 48-31 on the season — a record that puts them firmly in "this team is for real" territory. Getting a series win against Skubal specifically carries extra weight. Any team can beat a mid rotation guy on a bad day. Going into a Skubal start and walking out with the W because your 1B went nuclear twice? That's the kind of win that shifts perception. Giants are cooking.