Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers off Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Dodgers to Level Series at 2-2

Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Action

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

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among baseball's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive win.