🔗 Share this article

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

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed 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 continue his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an 11-4 victory.