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

Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new club mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity was below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home runs and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an decisive victory.