Guerrero Blasts against Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Tie World Series at 2-2
Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.
Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing evidence.
Early Innings
The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.
They answered immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the game.
Shohei's Performance
That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.
Ohtani pitch speed was below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.
Seventh Inning Surge
The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam.
Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.
Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Toughness
The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early blows and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.
Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became safe.
Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that was among baseball's elite offenses all year.
Final Innings
The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.
After a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays recorded hits, five drove in runs and the squad converted nearly every scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.
Looking Ahead
The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.
The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.
