Guerrero Homers off Ohtani as Blue Jays See Off Dodgers to Tie World Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Moments

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

After a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Toronto players collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.