🔗 Share this article

Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Clement smashed 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 roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Toronto players collected hits, five brought home scores and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.