🔗 Share this article

Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in runs and the squad converted almost every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and energy shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.