Guerrero homers off Ohtani as Blue Jays see off Dodgers to level World Series | World Series

Less than a day after suffering one of the worst losses in World Series history, Toronto Blue Jays played with a full team.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber got off to a strong start as Toronto beat Toronto. Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series returns to Canada.

Toronto spent the early hours of Tuesday morning processing their loss in Game 3 by 18 innings – a tie for the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them a chance to lead the game and burned out both bullpens. Manager John Schneider subsequently insisted that “they won the game, not the World Series.” Twenty-three hours later, his team presented compelling evidence.

The Dodgers struck first again. Max Muncy entered the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernandez's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not faze the Toronto team, which was leading the Major League. Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lux hit a single to center and Guerrero stepped in to chase the ball. Shohei Ohtani left the sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit in the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Blue Jays' lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the evening.

The wobble also stopped Ohtani's historic streak of 11 straight appearances hitting its low. The two-way phenom crushed two homers and drove in a career-high nine runs in Game 3 for the Dodgers. But on Tuesday he began a short rest – the shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from a previous marathon.

Ohtani's fastball velocity was below his season average and he worked harder as the game went on. Despite this, he showed glimpses of his usual command, going 11-for-12 after hitting Guerrero and striking out six. He even took a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work, as he was charged with six hits and four runs in six-plus innings.

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Dalton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement hit a double off the wall to put two outs. Dave Roberts had no choice but to pull Ohtani, who left to a standing ovation from the home team. The Dodgers Relief Corps were unable to complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited this mess and immediately fell behind. Andres Jimenez batted to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. Ty France then struck to make it 4–1 and that was enough to eliminate Banda from the game. Blake Treinen came in next, but also couldn't contain the onslaught, with Beau Bichette and Addison Barger hitting RBI singles through the infield to cap a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

The Blue Jays' ability to absorb and respond to early hits defined their entire game. They did it again without George Springer, the injured starting starter who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired midseason while finishing his rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several runners and calmed a dangerous Dodgers lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four innings to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked solid runs in the seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles has scored just three runs over its final 20 innings, a sharp slowdown for a team that has been among baseball's elite lineups all season.

The Dodgers got it going in the ninth when Tommy Edman flied out and scored Teoscar Hernandez after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on the board. But Louis Varland closed it, preventing the meeting from being held.

After a night in which Toronto was stranded with a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave after wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, five drove in runs, and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

The victory ensures that the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Center, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since. Joe Carter's famous home run in 1993.. They now know they're guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game is about to reboot the series and turn things north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to stop the Blue Jays' surge. Toronto answers with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early. in an 11-4 win.