🔗 Share this article

Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of energy.

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

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among baseball's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.