Toronto Blue Jays beat L.A. Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 to tie World Series

It is two-games apiece halfway through the World Series as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the L.A. Dodgers 6-2.

It guarantees home field advantage for a crucial Game 6 in Toronto Friday, with Game 5 set for Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Read more:

• Blue Jays lose 6-5 to Dodgers in marathon World Series Game 3
• Blue Jays fans stick it out till early morning hours to see L.A. Dodgers take Game 3
• ‘The city will come alive:’ Regina mayor, Sask. premier excited to host 2027 Grey Cup

Following a quick turnaround, the two teams were back at it for Game 4 on Tuesday night.

The teams played an equivalent of two full games on Monday before Freddie Freeman put the Dodgers up 2-1 in the series with an 18th-inning solo homer that gave them a 6-5 win.

Game 4 did not prove as memorable as that Game 3 marathon.

The Dodgers made their mark first in the second inning, with Shane Bieber issuing a one-out walk to Max Muncy. A single from Tommy Edman moved Muncy to third base then Enrique Hernandez hit him in for the game’s first run.

Jays fans didn’t have to wait long for revenge when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his seventh homer of the post-season with Nathan Lukes on first, to give Toronto a 2-1 lead. The home run also broke the tie with Jose Bautista and Joe Carter to give Guerrero Jr.’s the Blue Jays all-time record for career postseason home runs.

It was quiet with few runs made through the fifth and sixth inning until the Jays exploded in the seventh.

Thanks to a 10-game hitting streak, Ernie Clement tied Roberto Alomar and Devon White for the second-longest run in Blue Jays post-season history. That, along with singles from Andres Giménez, Bo Bichette and Addison Barger brought the bases home to increase the Jays lead to 6-1.

No runs were added in the eighth inning or the top of the ninth, with L.A. squeezing one more as the game came to an end.

Game 4 starting stats

Toronto right-hander Shane Bieber made his first World Series start and fourth of the postseason in Game 4, heading to the mound with a 4.38 ERA in the postseason and 15 strikeouts. In Game 3 of the ALCS against Seattle he struck out eight, allowing a single walk and two earned runs over six innings.

Bieber was up against Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani in the Game 4 pitching matchup. Ohtani started the game with a postseason 2.25 ERA with 19 strikeouts.

Pitchers typically don’t have a rigorous night before starting like Ohtani did on Monday. His historic performance at the plate meant he homered twice and tied a 119-year-old MLB record with four extra-base hits.

After his four-hit barrage in the first seven innings, Ohtani drew five consecutive walks, making him the first major-leaguer in 83 years to reach base nine times in any game, let alone the postseason. He has only taken the mound twice this postseason, recording three runs, 19 strikeouts and four walks over 12 innings.

George Springer — who was was knocked out of Game 3 in the sixth inning with an unnamed injury to his right side — was not in the lineup, with with manager John Schneider describing the designated hitter as “hour-to-hour, day-to-day.”

Nathan Lukes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette all moved up a spot as a consequence of Springer being on the bench, with Bichette taking Springer’s place as DH.

Game 5 ahead

Rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage will start on the mound in Game 5. The 22-year-old pitched four innings in Toronto’s 11-4 Game 1 win, giving up two runs on four hits with three walks.

He will again be up against Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell, who was beaten up by Toronto in the same game at Rogers Centre, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks over five innings.

Watch parties will be held at Rogers Centre for Game 5 of the World Series, with ticket proceeds going to the Jays Care Foundation. The City of Toronto is also hosting free public viewing parties at Nathan Phillips Square.

This Jays win guarantees a return to Toronto for Game 6 Friday night.

All World Series games are broadcast live on 980CJME and 650 CKOM at 6 p.m.

— with files from The Canadian Press