Guerrero Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Level World Series at 2-2

Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He required just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

After a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Blue Jays recorded hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.