Vladimir Guerrero Jr Blasts off Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Los Angeles to Level World Series at 2-2

Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among baseball's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 different Toronto players recorded hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an decisive victory.