Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers against Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Los Angeles to Level Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that was among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.