Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blasted a two-run home run as the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 and tie the World Series at two games apiece on Tuesday.
Less than 24 hours after a shattering 18-inning game three loss, the Blue Jays climbed off the canvas to breathe new life into their hopes of a first Major League Baseball title in 32 years.
Guerrero’s two-run blast off Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani and a superb pitching performance from ace Shane Bieber laid the foundations for a gutsy victory that silenced Dodger Stadium.
With both teams having drained their respective bullpens in Monday’s marathon epic — the joint longest game in World Series history — Bieber provided valuable length for the Blue Jays.
The 30-year-old former American League Cy Young Award winner threw 5.1 innings with three strikeouts, giving up just one run.
Ohtani meanwhile — who had bludgeoned two home runs and got on base a record nine times in Monday’s 6-5 walkoff victory — delivered six strikeouts across six innings and was charged with four runs.
But Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers bats went ice-cold offensively, managing just six hits and two runs in nine innings.
Instead it was the Blue Jays’ deep and disciplined line-up — missing injured leadoff hitter George Springer — who once again bided their time before pouncing on the vulnerable Dodgers bullpen.
After Guerrero’s two-run homer cancelled out Kike Hernandez’s sacrifice fly that had given the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead, the game remained in the balance until the seventh inning.
Ohtani began the inning and gave up singles to Daulton Varsho and Ernie Clement to leave the Blue Jays with runners on second and third with no outs.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts promptly withdrew Ohtani for reliever Anthony Banda and the Blue Jays cut loose.
Short-stop Andres Gimenez and pinch-hitter Ty France singled in rapid succession to make it 4-1, knocking Banda out of the game.
Banda’s replacement Blake Treinen fared little better, giving up singles to Bo Bichette and Addison Barger to complete a four-run scoring burst that left Toronto 6-1 up.
The Dodgers never looked like threatening the Blue Jays’ five-run cushion and it was left to Toronto reliever Chris Bassitt to run through the bottom of the seventh.
Bassitt cruised through the eighth inning as the Dodgers bats once again failed to fire.
The Dodgers flirted with an improbable rally in the ninth inning after Teoscar Hernandez drew a leadoff walk followed by a double from Max Muncy.
Tommy Edman ground out to score Hernandez but closer Louis Varland mopped up the rest of the inning to give the Blue Jays a crucial win.
Game five of the best-of-seven series takes place at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday before the series heads back to Toronto for games six and seven on Friday and Saturday.