Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.
Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.
The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that denied them the chance to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered emphatic evidence.
Early Innings
The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.
They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh club record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the night.
Shohei's Night
That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.
His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.
Late Game Rally
The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually lost energy.
Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.
Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. 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 Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.
Blue Jays's Toughness
The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.
Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became safe.
Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all season.
Final Moments
The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.
After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, five drove in runs and the squad cashed almost every scoring chance available in the final innings.
Next Up
The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.
Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.
