🔗 Share this article Vladimir Guerrero Jr Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Level World Series at 2-2 Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with complete control. Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada. Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic evidence. Initial Innings The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season. They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the night. Ohtani's Performance That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon. His pitch speed sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings. Late Game Rally The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy. Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape. Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1. Toronto's Toughness The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after straining his oblique. Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable. Former starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among baseball's top lineups all season. Final Innings The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop. After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas. Next Up The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA. Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.