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

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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early setbacks and answer has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and energy shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an decisive victory.