Guerrero Blasts against Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Level World Series at 2-2
Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete control.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.
Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided convincing proof.
Early Action
The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.
They answered right away in the third. Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.
Shohei's Performance
That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.
His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.
Late Game Surge
The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.
Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.
Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Resilience
The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.
Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly grew safe.
Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all season.
Final Moments
The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.
After a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.
Next Up
The victory guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.
The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake 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 chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.
