Vladimir Guerrero Jr Blasts off Ohtani as Blue Jays See Off Dodgers to Level World Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. 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 Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded 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 allowing a rally to build.

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.