Guerrero Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Tie Series at 2-2
Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with total command.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.
Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.
Early Innings
The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.
They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.
Shohei's Night
That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.
His pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.
Seventh Inning Rally
The larger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost energy.
Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.
Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Resilience
The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has defined their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.
Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew safe.
Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.
Final Innings
The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.
After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays collected hits, five drove in runs and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.
Looking Ahead
The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.
Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive victory.
