🔗 Share this article

Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon grew safe.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed almost every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive win.