Vladimir Guerrero Jr Blasts against Ohtani as Toronto See Off Los Angeles to Tie Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed was under his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. 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 enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early blows and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Innings

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

After a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Toronto players collected hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 win.