🔗 Share this article

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

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated later that “they won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial blows and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 victory.