Guerrero Homers off Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Dodgers to Tie World Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.