🔗 Share this article Guerrero Blasts off Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Tie Series at 2-2 Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete command. Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada. Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof. Early Innings The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season. They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the game. Ohtani's Performance That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game. His fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings. Late Game Surge The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam. Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning. 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 field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1. Toronto's Toughness The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining 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 stranded multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that quickly grew comfortable. Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all year. Closing Innings The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop. After a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas. Looking Ahead The win ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles. The fifth game looms with the series reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive win.