The Toronto Blue Jays have leveled the best-of-seven World Series at 2-2, following a resounding 6-2 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth game.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s two-run homer early on and an explosion of runs in the seventh inning allowed the only Canadian team in Major League Baseball to pull ahead at Dodger Stadium.
This also guarantees that the series will head back to Toronto for a sixth contest, with the possibility of a seventh game that would be decisive.
After Monday’s exhausting 18-inning marathon drained the strength of both teams’ bullpens, the Dodgers and Blue Jays relied on their starting pitchers for lengthy performances to give their relievers a break.
Everyone was watching the Japanese star Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers, who was set to pitch and bat first in this matchup.
Ohtani, at 31, is an exceptionally unique «two-way» player, excelling as both a pitcher and a batter at an elite standard.
However, after reaching base in all nine of his plate appearances during game three, he had no hits in this game and left the mound in the seventh inning down 2-1, with two runners on base – both of whom would subsequently score – and no outs recorded.
Toronto’s less recognized starter Shane Bieber, hailing from California, had no favoritism towards the home team, striking Ohtani out twice and pitching into the sixth inning, allowing only a single run.
The Dodgers took the lead in the second inning when Enrique Hernandez’s sacrifice fly brought Max Muncy home.
Toronto’s lineup missed George Springer, who faced a muscle injury in game three, but Guerrero rose to the occasion and sent Ohtani’s pitch soaring into left center field, resulting in a score of 2-1.
Following Ohtani’s departure, Andres Gimenez, Ty France, Bo Bichette, and Addison Barger all contributed to the score, pushing the Blue Jays to a 6-1 lead before the seventh-inning break.
The Dodgers posed a temporary threat in the bottom of the ninth inning when Teoscar Hernandez walked, Muncy hit a double, and Tommy Edman grounded out to bring Hernandez home, but Toronto secured the victory with minimal concerns.
The series will move on to game five, once again at Dodger Stadium, on Wednesday evening.
World Series schedule, reports & results
Game 1: Blue Jays 11-4 Dodgers
Game 2: Blue Jays 1-5 Dodgers
Game 3: Dodgers 6-5 Blue Jays
Game 4: Dodgers 2-6 Blue Jays
Game 5 (in LA): Wednesday, 29 October
Game 6 (in Toronto): Friday, 31 October
Game 7* (if necessary, in Toronto): Saturday, 1 November
Games commence at 20:00 Eastern Time (early the following morning UK time), home team listed first
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