🔗 Share this article

Less than a day following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

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

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre 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 long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho 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. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the team cashed almost every scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.