A picture-postcard-perfect evening turned into an exercise of ladder-climbing over at McMahon Stadium.

Bo Levi Mitchell shimmying up to the fourth rung.

Rene Paredes vaulting to the second.

And, most vitally, the Calgary Stampeders ascending, as their custom, to the top step.

“They did a great job early on showing up some different things,’’ acknowledged Mitchell, in the wake of a 23-7  of the Toronto Argonauts on Fan Appreciation Night, “but we had a great game plan built. Once we found out what they were doing our guys did a great job finding holes in their zones.

“They did a lot of zone. They were very successful with it last week and came back with it this week. But when they were in man, our guys won.

“You see D.D., he dunked on two guys.”

Mitchell shrugged off a 115-yard Pick 6 to toss a pair of touchdown passes to the aforementioned D.D., DaVaris Daniels, Nos. 116 and 117 while in charge of the White Horse to supplant a local legend, Pistol Peter Liske, and move into fourth place.

“It’s awesome to move up the list and everything like that,’’ said Mitchell, wearing his shamrock-adorned Conor McGregor colours proudly, pre-fight, during his post-game media availability. “I look at guys like Nik (Lewis) and what he accomplished. 

“Guys all around the league that are doing (great) things this year. (Ricky) Ray being the Argos all-time leading TD passer and he hasn’t been there very long.

“So it’s special to do it. It’s not something I think about. Awesome to bring up and talk about, though.

“I respect the guys that carried the game before I did and make sure I carry it the same way.”

Straight shooter Paredes, not to be upstaged, sailed three field goals through the uprights, Nos. 282, 283 and 284 of his seven-season stay here, to shimmy past J.T. Hay and into second position on the organization’s all-time pecking order.

“It does mean a lot to me,’’ said in the tumult of the achievement. “A huge accomplishment. To do this, you have to play a long time and be consistent.

“I’m pretty happy and blessed.”

Ahead, well up the highway, is leader Mark McLoughlin, at a whopping 664 successful three-pointers.

“I don’t know how far I’m behind,’’ admitted Paredes. “Most likely I won’t reach him but I’ll try and get as close as I possibly can.”

Mitchell’s Liske-passing touchdown toss to Daniels covered 38 yards at 4:28 of the third quarter and showed off the sublime No. 89 to best effect.

“He saved me on that second one,’’ praised the Katy, Tex., gunslinger. “My arm didn’t give me what I wanted and he went up and made a helluva play.”

Mitchell’s first TD toss had arrived at 7:06 of the second quarter, a 21-yard dart just inside the end zone and near the sideline stripe, Argos’ DB Brandon Harris cloaked over Daniels like a bad rash.

 Next on the horizon for Mitchell’s assault on the Stampeder TD list is a mentor, Jeff Garcia, at 111.

 Smilin’ Hank Burris (203) and Doug Flutie (140) are, unsurprisingly, 1-2.

The pick-6 that briefly provided the Argos with a lead came completely out of the blue. Timing his intervention to perfection, DB Cassius Vaughn stepped in on Stamp slotback Marquay McDaniel to pilfer the Mitchell end-zone pass.

In trying to reach the ball, McDaniel stumbled and fell, drawing a flag.

The yellow hankie lay on the turf as Vaughn completed the swindle and then set off on a merry chase, serpentining back and forth, to and fro, 115 yards into the Stampeder end zone.

Apparent touchdown chalked off due to pass interference?

Not so fast. 

Argos’ boss Marc Trestman wasted little time in tossing a challenge flag and after command centre review, the PI call was overturned and the Toronto touchdown stood.

Mitchell, as has become his custom, though, shrugged the play off and promptly led the Stampeders on their first touchdown drive of the evening.

As he began to find a rhythm and backed by an absolutely suffocating defence that refused to allow Ray and Co. a major score, the Stamps moved a point ahead of the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers atop the uber-competitive West Division.

“It was a hard-fought game,’’ summed up coach Dave Dickenson. “Some ups and downs. A little bit choppy.

“Nothing seemed easy. It was tough. I thought DeVaris had a good game and Bo was slinging it.

 Defensively to do that against a great group, great receivers, great quarterback, well coached team, is (encouraging).

“Our defence stepped up big-time. In the CFL, when you don’t give up any points, that’s very, very impressive.

“So now on to the next challenge” – Labour Day, versus the Eskimos – “but certainly our defence led the way.”