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

Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake 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 base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was below his regular-season average and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected hits, five brought home runs and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the series even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 victory.