🔗 Share this article

Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers 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 prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally lost steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony 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. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

After a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an decisive victory.