🔗 Share this article Guerrero Homers against Shohei Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Level Series at 2-2 Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete control. Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada. Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof. Initial Action The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season. They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the night. Shohei's Night That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon. Ohtani pitch speed was under his seasonal average and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings. Late Game Rally The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam. Daulton Varsho opened 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 none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning. Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1. Toronto's Toughness The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique. Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon grew comfortable. Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all year. Final Moments The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop. After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 different Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home scores and the squad converted nearly every scoring opportunity available in the late innings. Looking Ahead The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles. The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an 11-4 victory.