Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers against Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Los Angeles to Tie Series at 2-2
Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.
The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.
Initial Action
The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.
They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the game.
Shohei's Performance
That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.
Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.
Late Game Surge
The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.
Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.
Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Toughness
The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.
Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.
Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.
Closing Moments
The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.
Following a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home scores and the squad converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.
Looking Ahead
The win ensures the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.
Game 5 approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an decisive victory.