Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers off Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays See Off Dodgers to Level World Series at 2-2

Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon grew safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.