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

Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice 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 stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial blows and answer has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among baseball's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an decisive victory.