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

Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto 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 defeat that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh club mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their entire postseason. 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 everything the Blue Jays required. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in scores and the team cashed almost every scoring chance available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive win.