Guerrero Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto See Off Dodgers to Tie Series at 2-2

Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed 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 finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive victory.