🔗 Share this article Vladimir Guerrero Jr Blasts off Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays See Off Los Angeles to Tie World Series at 2-2 Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command. Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles 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 return to Toronto. Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided emphatic proof. Early Innings The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year. They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the night. Shohei's Performance That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game. Ohtani pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames. Seventh Inning Rally The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy. Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning. Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1. Blue Jays's Toughness The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial blows and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left the third game after tweaking his oblique. Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe. Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all season. Final Innings The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build. Following a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays collected base hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted almost every scoring chance available in the late innings. Next Up The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles. Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 win.