Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers off Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Level Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete control.

Guerrero crushed 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 evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when he eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. 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 right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly grew safe.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive victory.