Guerrero Blasts against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Tie World Series at 2-2

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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted later that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

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

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a double off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays collected base hits, five drove in scores and the team cashed almost every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Next Up

The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.