Guerrero Homers off Shohei Ohtani as Toronto See Off Los Angeles to Tie World Series at 2-2

Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home runs and the squad cashed nearly every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive win.