Vladimir Guerrero Jr Blasts against Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Dodgers to Tie Series at 2-2

Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed start 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 games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

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

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Final Innings

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an 11-4 win.