Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Level World Series at 2-2

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

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered 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 Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

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

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out 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 runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an 11-4 win.