Guerrero Homers off Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Level Series at 2-2
Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with complete command.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.
Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.
Early Action
The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.
They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the game.
Shohei's Night
That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.
Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, 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 continue his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.
Late Game Surge
The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually lost steam.
Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.
Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Toughness
The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.
Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon grew comfortable.
Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.
Final Moments
The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.
Following a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.
Looking Ahead
The win guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.
Game 5 approaches with the series reset and energy shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.
