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

Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a new team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.