Guerrero Homers against Ohtani as Blue Jays See Off Los Angeles to Level Series at 2-2
Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.
The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – 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 bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “they took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided convincing evidence.
Initial Action
The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.
They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the night.
Ohtani's Performance
That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.
His pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.
Seventh Inning Surge
The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.
Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.
Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner 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 remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Toughness
The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.
Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. He needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.
Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among baseball's elite offenses all season.
Final Innings
The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.
After a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in runs and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.
Next Up
The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.
The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an decisive win.
