Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers against Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Los Angeles to Tie Series at 2-2

Less than a day following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that quickly grew safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted nearly every scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.