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

Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes 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 Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.