Guerrero Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Toronto Defeat Dodgers to Level World Series at 2-2
Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.
Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Canada.
The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof.
Early Action
The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.
They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for 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 seventh homer this playoffs – a new team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.
Shohei's Performance
That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.
His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.
Seventh Inning Rally
The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.
Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.
Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho 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. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.
Toronto's Resilience
The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.
Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly grew comfortable.
Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all year.
Closing Moments
The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.
After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in scores and the team cashed almost every scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.
Looking Ahead
The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.
Game 5 looms with the series even and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.
