🔗 Share this article Vladimir Guerrero Jr Blasts against Ohtani as Blue Jays See Off Dodgers to Tie Series at 2-2 Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control. Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada. Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof. Initial Action The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season. They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night. Shohei's Night That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game. His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus innings. Late Game Rally The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam. Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape. Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1. Blue Jays's Resilience The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique. Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly became safe. Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among MLB's top offenses all season. Closing Moments The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop. After a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays collected base hits, five brought home runs and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas. Next Up The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles. The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive win.