Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers off Shohei Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Tie Series at 2-2
Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.
Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.
Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.
Early Action
The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.
They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh club mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.
Ohtani's Night
That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.
Ohtani pitch speed was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.
Seventh Inning Surge
The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.
Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.
Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Resilience
The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.
Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.
Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top offenses all year.
Final Moments
The Dodgers managed 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 on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.
Following a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted almost every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.
Next Up
The victory ensures the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.
The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an decisive win.