Guerrero Blasts against Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Level Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed 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 streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually ran out of steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly grew safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in runs and the team converted almost every scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive win.