🔗 Share this article

Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, five drove in scores and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an decisive win.