🔗 Share this article

Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an decisive win.