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

Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh club mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that was among baseball's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Toronto players recorded base hits, five brought home scores and the squad converted almost every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.