Guerrero Homers against Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Level Series at 2-2
Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.
Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.
The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.
Initial Action
The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.
They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the game.
Ohtani's Performance
That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.
His pitch speed was below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.
Late Game Surge
The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally lost energy.
Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.
Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France followed 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 failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Resilience
The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and respond has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.
Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly grew safe.
Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.
Final Innings
The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.
Following a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted almost every scoring chance presented in the final innings.
Looking Ahead
The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.
Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 win.