Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto See Off Dodgers to Level World Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among MLB's top lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.