🔗 Share this article Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Los Angeles to Level World Series at 2-2 Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with total command. Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada. The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof. Early Action The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this year. They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the game. Shohei's Performance That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon. Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings. Late Game Surge The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost steam. Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning. Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1. Toronto's Toughness The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his right side. Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly grew comfortable. Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among MLB's top lineups all year. Closing Innings The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build. Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home scores and the team converted almost every scoring chance available in the late innings. Looking Ahead The victory guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles. Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an decisive win.