The Toronto Blue Jays have tied the best-of-seven World Series at 2-2 after a thumping 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s early two-run homer and a glut of runs in the seventh inning helped Major League Baseball’s only Canadian side come from behind at Dodger Stadium.
It also ensures the series will return to Toronto for a sixth game, and potentially a deciding seventh.
After Monday’s 18-innings epic drained the energy of both teams’ bullpens, the Dodgers and Blue Jays were banking on long outings from their starting pitchers to give their relief corps some respite.
All eyes were on the Dodgers’ Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, as this was the game where he was scheduled to double up as starting pitcher and leadoff hitter.
Ohtani, 31, is an exceptionally rare “two-way” player, operating at the elite level as both a pitcher and a hitter.
But having reached base on all nine plate appearances in game three, he went hitless with the bat, and left the pitcher’s mound in the seventh inning trailing 2-1 and having put two men on base – both of whom would score – with no outs.
Toronto’s less heralded starter Shane Bieber, born in California, showed no favour to the hosts, striking Ohtani out twice and pitching into the sixth inning while giving up just one run.
The Dodgers had gone ahead in the bottom of the second inning when Enrique Hernandez’s sacrifice fly scored Max Muncy.
Toronto’s offence was missing George Springer, who sustained a muscle injury during game three, but Guerrero stepped up and launched Ohtani over left centre field to make it 2-1.
After Ohtani was taken out, Andres Gimenez, Ty France, Bo Bichette and Addison Barger all drove in runs to give the Blue Jays breathing space at 6-1 before the seventh-inning stretch.
The Dodgers briefly threatened a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Teoscar Hernandez walked, Muncy doubled, and Tommy Edman ground out to score Hernandez, but Toronto closed out the win with little alarm.
The series continues with game five, again at Dodger Stadium, on Wednesday evening.
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