LOS ANGELES — Resilience defined the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night as they bounced back from one of the most draining losses in World Series history, overpowering the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 at Dodger Stadium in Game 4.
The win evened the series at two games apiece and proved that even after an 18-inning defeat, the Blue Jays’ determination for a championship run remained unbroken.
Guerrero delivers crushing blow to Ohtani’s dominance
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. supplied the biggest swing of the night, blasting a two-run homer off Shohei Ohtani in the third inning that flipped momentum in Blue Jays’ favor. The shot to left-center came after Nathan Lukes’ single and ended Ohtani’s streak of homer-free outings on the mound.
“It was very important for me to hit that home run,” Guerrero said. “And from that point on we got going.”
It was the first home run Ohtani had allowed since August 27, when Cincinnati’s Noelvi Marte connected against him. More importantly, it halted a run of two straight postseason starts in which the Dodgers’ star pitcher had not allowed a long ball.
For Guerrero, the homer was his seventh of the postseason, pushing his RBI total to 14 while maintaining an average above .400. Those numbers explain much of Blue Jays’ postseason success and its first pennant since 1993.
Leadership surfaces after devastating defeat
The Blue Jays entered Tuesday emotionally drained. Their 18-inning loss a night earlier featured missed baserunning chances and a bullpen breakdown that left players dejected in the clubhouse.
Guerrero stepped up with a message that reignited belief.
“I was the last one to go in,” he recalled. “I saw everybody with his head down. I said, ‘Come on, bro. Head up. It’s not over yet. It’s not over yet. They gotta win four. Four games. You have to win four games to win the World Series. It’s not over.'”
His rallying words carried weight. The Blue Jays responded the next night with cleaner baserunning and sharper execution, attacking Dodgers pitching relentlessly after knocking Ohtani from the game.
Bieber outduels two-way sensation
Shane Bieber delivered his best outing of the postseason when the Blue Jays needed him most. The right-hander limited the Dodgers to four hits across 5⅓ innings, allowing only one earned run. He struck out three and walked three, stranding four runners before Mason Fluharty came on to finish the sixth.
Bieber, an Orange County native who returned from Tommy John surgery in late August following a trade from Cleveland, entered Game 4 with a 4.38 ERA through three postseason starts. Under the bright lights of Dodger Stadium, he silenced one of baseball’s most dangerous lineups.
“Coming off what could be a back-breaking loss last night, it was an absolute pleasure to show up today and see nobody changes,” Bieber said. “Nobody ever wavers. Nobody ever hesitates. It’s the same group of guys each and every day.”
Ohtani falters on short rest
Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ two-way sensation, took the mound on short rest — less than 17 hours after reaching base nine times in Monday’s marathon game. The fatigue showed. Ohtani labored through more than six innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
His fastball averaged 97.6 mph, nearly one mile per hour slower than his season average. While his breaking pitches were sharp early, his command slipped as the Blue Jays adjusted.
At the plate, Ohtani drew a six-pitch walk in the first inning, setting a World Series record by reaching base for the 11th straight time. But he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and was left on deck when the final out ended the game.
“We’re facing quality arms at this time of year against really good teams,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “We’re facing the best of the best, so I think it’s not that easy.”
Seventh inning Blue Jays surge buries Dodgers
The Blue Jays broke open a tight 2-1 contest with a four-run seventh inning that silenced the Dodger Stadium crowd. Daulton Varsho’s single and Ernie Clement’s double chased Ohtani from the game after 93 pitches.
Anthony Banda entered in relief but quickly surrendered an RBI single to Andres Gimenez and a groundout RBI to Ty France. After an intentional walk to Guerrero, Blake Treinen gave up back-to-back RBI singles to Bo Bichette and Addison Barger, stretching the lead to 6-1.
Toronto sent nine hitters to the plate in the inning, delivering the decisive blow that effectively ended Los Angeles’ hopes of a comeback.
“It’s hard to play 18 innings and come back and flip the narrative against a very talented team and very talented individual in Shohei Ohtani on the mound,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
The Dodgers offense produced only six hits, with just one going for extra bases. Their normally explosive lineup, which had dominated much of October, went silent in key moments.
“We really didn’t get a whole lot of good swings,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Conversely, you see those guys grinding and using the whole field and putting some hits together. We just didn’t have an answer.”
Series shifts with momentum swing
Chris Bassitt, the former Mets right-hander, provided two shutout innings in relief, giving up one hit. He has yet to allow an earned run in five postseason appearances.
Toronto played without ALCS standout George Springer, who left Game 3 with a right-side injury after a swing. Schneider said the outfielder’s condition remained “hour to hour” and did not offer further details.
The Game 4 win ensured that the World Series trophy will be decided in Toronto. It also restored home-field advantage to the Blue Jays, while the Dodgers dropped to 11-3 this postseason.
“I believe in this team, man,” Guerrero said. “This team is something special.”
Game 5 returns to Dodger Stadium on Wednesday for a rematch of the series opener. Los Angeles will start Blake Snell, while Toronto counters with rookie Trey Yesavage, who helped the Blue Jays to an 11-4 win in Game 1 by knocking Snell out in a nine-run sixth inning.
The Dodgers now face heavy pressure to respond at home as Toronto inches closer to its first World Series championship in 32 years.
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