🔗 Share this article Guerrero Homers off Ohtani as Blue Jays Defeat Los Angeles to Tie Series at 2-2 Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command. Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto. Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence. Early Action The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year. They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night. Shohei's Night That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game. Ohtani pitch speed sat below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings. Seventh Inning Surge The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost steam. Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning. Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1. Blue Jays's Toughness The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique. Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly became safe. Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all year. Final Innings The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build. Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected base hits, five brought home runs and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late innings. Next Up The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles. Game 5 looms with the series even and energy swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an 11-4 victory.