By GREG BEACHAM
LOS ANGELES — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer off Shohei Ohtani, Shane Bieber pitched four-hit ball into the sixth inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays shook off their epic 18-inning loss to even the World Series with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Addison Barger had two hits and drove in a run for the AL champion Blue Jays, who coolly rebounded from their heartbreaking, late-night defeat in Game 3 with stellar work at the plate and on the mound.
By sending the defending champion Dodgers to just their third loss in 14 games this postseason, the Blue Jays reclaimed homefield advantage and guaranteed the World Series trophy will be won at Rogers Centre.
Game 5 is Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, with Game 6 in Toronto on Friday.
Ohtani redefined the concept of short rest by taking the World Series mound just over 17 hours after he reached base nine times and smashed four extra-base hits in the Dodgers’ stirring victory.
Ohtani yielded six hits and four runs while pitching into the seventh inning with six strikeouts in Game 4. After Guerrero hit his majestic seventh homer of the postseason in the third, the Blue Jays added two more while chasing Ohtani during their four-run seventh inning.
Ohtani couldn’t make up for it at the plate, going 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts. He was on deck when the game ended.
The Dodgers’ two-way superstar was outpitched by Bieber, the Blue Jays newcomer who returned from Tommy John surgery in late August. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner gave up just one run in a resilient World Series debut.
An Orange County native with friends and family roaring for him from the loge level at Dodger Stadium, Bieber issued three walks, but repeatedly got out of trouble. He stranded four runners before Mason Fluharty relieved him in the sixth and stranded two more — and the Blue Jays took control moments later with their seventh-inning rally.
Ohtani took the mound again 11 days after he hit three homers and struck out 10 Milwaukee Brewers in arguably the greatest single-game performance in baseball playoff history to clinch the NL pennant.
Ohtani threw his first pitch to the Blue Jays 17 hours and 21 minutes after celebrating with his teammates when Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer cleared the fence. Although his fastball velocity was down to 97.6 mph from his season average of 98.5, Ohtani largely stayed out of trouble with effective breaking stuff.
Ohtani also drew a six-pitch leadoff walk to reach base for the 11th straight time, extending his World Series record — but he didn’t get on base again.
The Dodgers scored first for the fourth consecutive game when Kiké Hernández’s sacrifice fly brought home Max Muncy in the second. But the Blue Jays finally got to Ohtani in the third, ending their 13-inning scoring drought with a big swing from their star slugger.
Nathan Lukes got a one-out single before Guerrero hammered a breaking ball from Ohtani over the left-center wall. Guerrero has set Toronto franchise postseason records with seven homers and 14 RBIs this month.
Ohtani retired 11 of 12 after Guerrero’s homer, but the Blue Jays chased him with Daulton Varsho’s single and Ernie Clement’s double off the wall to start the seventh. Toronto scored on Andrés Giménez’s single and Ty France’s groundout off Anthony Banda before Bo Bichette and Barger added RBI singles off struggling Blake Treinen.
Toronto played without ALCS hero George Springer, who left Game 3 in the seventh inning after injuring his right side on a swing.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers’ Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) faces Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26) in the pivotal Game 5. It’s a pitching rematch of the series opener, when Toronto handed Snell his only loss of a previously dominant postseason by chasing him at the start of a nine-run sixth inning in an 11-4 win. Yesavage pitched four innings of two-run ball.
