🔗 Share this article

Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

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

They answered right away in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh club mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat star 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 started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest 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 continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home scores and the squad converted almost every scoring chance available in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – 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 momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an decisive win.