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 Collection with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Sport 4 on Tuesday night time.
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 Sport 3 with stellar work on the plate and on the mound.
“Yesterday was a troublesome loss, however we flush it immediately,” stated Guerrero, who spurred the Jays together with his seventh homer of the postseason. “To us, it’s one recreation at a time, one pitch at a time.”
By sending the defending champion Dodgers to simply their third loss in 14 video games this postseason, the Blue Jays reclaimed home-field benefit and assured the World Collection trophy shall be gained at Rogers Centre.
“I consider on this workforce, man,” Guerrero stated. “This workforce is one thing particular.”
Sport 5 is Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, with Sport 6 in Toronto on Friday.
Ohtani redefined the idea of quick relaxation by taking the World Collection mound simply over 17 hours after he reached base 9 occasions and smashed 4 extra-base hits within the Dodgers’ stirring victory.
He yielded six hits and 4 runs whereas pitching into the seventh inning with six strikeouts in Sport 4. After Guerrero hit his majestic seventh homer of the postseason within the third, the Blue Jays added two extra whereas chasing Ohtani throughout their four-run seventh inning.
Ohtani couldn’t make up for it on the plate, going 0-for-3 with a stroll and two strikeouts. He was on deck when the sport ended.
The Dodgers had simply six hits, just one for further bases.
“We’re going through high quality arms at the moment of 12 months in opposition to actually good groups,” Ohtani stated by means of his interpreter. “We’re going through one of the best of one of the best, so I believe it’s not that simple. On the identical time, we may do a minimum of the naked minimal and put up some runs.”
The Dodgers’ two-way celebrity was outpitched by Bieber, the Blue Jays newcomer who returned from Tommy John surgical procedure in late August. The 2020 AL Cy Younger Award winner gave up only one run in a resilient World Collection debut.
An Orange County native with family and friends roaring for him from the loge degree at Dodger Stadium, Bieber issued three walks however repeatedly acquired out of bother. He stranded 4 runners earlier than Mason Fluharty relieved him within the sixth and stranded two extra — and the Blue Jays took management moments later with their seventh-inning rally.
“We actually didn’t get an entire lot of fine swings,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “Conversely, you see these [Blue Jays] grinding and utilizing the entire area. … We didn’t have a solution.”
Ohtani took the mound once more 11 days after he hit three homers and struck out 10 Milwaukee Brewers in arguably the best single-game efficiency in baseball playoff historical past to clinch the NL pennant.
Ohtani threw his first pitch to the Blue Jays 17 hours and 21 minutes after celebrating together with his teammates when Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer cleared the fence. Though his fastball velocity was right down to 97.6 mph from his season common of 98.5, Ohtani largely stayed out of bother with efficient breaking stuff.
“On this state of affairs, I needed to go seven (innings), and it was regrettable that I wasn’t capable of end that inning,” he stated.
Ohtani additionally drew a six-pitch leadoff stroll to achieve base for the eleventh straight time, extending his World Collection file — however he didn’t get on base once more.
The Dodgers scored first for the fourth consecutive recreation when Enrique Hernandez’s sacrifice fly introduced house Max Muncy within the second. However the Blue Jays lastly acquired to Ohtani within the third, ending their 13-inning scoring drought with a giant swing from their star slugger.
Nathan Lukes acquired a one-out single earlier than Guerrero hammered a breaking ball from Ohtani over the left-center wall. Guerrero has set Toronto franchise postseason information with seven homers and 14 RBIs this month.
“Trying again, it was only a regrettable pitch, one thing that I want I may have taken again,” Ohtani stated. “It was simply in a foul spot.”
Ohtani retired 11 of 12 after Guerrero’s homer, however the Blue Jays chased him with Daulton Varsho’s single and Ernie Clement’s double off the wall to begin the seventh. Toronto scored on Andrés Giménez’s single and Ty France’s groundout off Anthony Banda earlier than Bo Bichette and Barger added RBI singles off struggling Blake Treinen.
Toronto performed with out ALCS hero George Springer, who left Sport 3 within the seventh inning after injuring his proper facet on a swing.
The Dodgers’ Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) faces Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26) within the pivotal Sport 5. It’s a pitching rematch of the sequence opener, when Toronto handed Snell his solely lack of a beforehand dominant postseason by chasing him in the beginning of a nine-run sixth inning in an 11-4 win. Yesavage pitched 4 innings of two-run ball.
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