Guerrero Blasts against Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Tie Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home runs and the squad converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.