Vladimir Guerrero Jr Blasts off Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Level World Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Blue Jays club that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit 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 short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb early blows and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that was among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, five brought home runs and the squad converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly 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 attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an 11-4 win.