🔗 Share this article

Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed 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 extend his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually lost energy.

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

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and 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 Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

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

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive win.