LOS ANGELES — Less than 24 hours after absorbing one of the most grueling losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays flipped the script Tuesday night, controlling nearly every inning in a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The win knots the Fall Classic at two games apiece and guarantees the championship will be settled north of the border later this week.
A Statement Response
Manager John Schneider challenged his clubhouse after Monday night’s exhausting 18-inning defeat, insisting the setback wouldn’t dictate the narrative of the series. His players answered immediately.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second inning when Max Muncy walked and later crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández’s sacrifice fly, but Toronto—who led MLB this season with 49 comeback wins—didn’t blink.
Guerrero Jr. Delivers
Nathan Lukes sparked the Blue Jays in the third with a one-out single before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. unloaded on a hanging sweeper from Shohei Ohtani. The two-run shot into left-center was Guerrero’s seventh homer this postseason, setting a new franchise record and marking his first extra-base hit of the World Series.
The blast also snapped Ohtani’s run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base—a streak that had captivated Game 3.
Ohtani Shows Wear
Just one day removed from an IV to recover from Monday’s marathon, Ohtani battled through six-plus innings with diminished velocity. While he flashed his usual command—striking out six and retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero’s homer—the workload eventually caught up.
He departed to a standing ovation in the seventh after surrendering six hits and four earned runs.
Toronto Breaks It Open
Daulton Varsho’s leadoff single and Ernie Clement’s double chased Ohtani and forced Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts to tap into a taxed bullpen. The relief effort unraveled quickly:
Andrés Giménez drove home Varsho
Ty France added a run on a groundout
Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles
Four runs in the inning stretched the Toronto lead to 6-1 and silenced the home crowd momentarily.
Bieber’s Composed Debut
On the mound, Toronto’s gamble on Shane Bieber paid off. Acquired mid-season while completing Tommy John rehab, the former Cy Young winner worked out of traffic and leaned on soft contact to keep Los Angeles quiet. He allowed just one run across five-plus innings.
Rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty entered in the sixth and retired both batters he faced in four pitches, preserving momentum.
Converted starter Chris Bassitt followed with two clean frames, while Louis Varland handled the ninth.
The Dodgers have now managed just three runs in their last 20 innings—an unexpected slump for a lineup that challenged league leaders wire-to-wire.
Late Effort Falls Short
Los Angeles finally scratched across a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández, but the rally fizzled before tension could build.
Looking Ahead
With the win, Toronto ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre for the first time since Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off in 1993. Regardless of Wednesday’s outcome at Dodger Stadium, the ballpark will host Game 6—and possibly Game 7—with a charged Canadian crowd waiting.
Game 5 features a rematch from the series opener: left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) looks to steady Los Angeles, while Toronto hands the ball to rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA), who helped chase Snell early in Game 1’s 11-4 rout.
Momentum now seems to tilt north, but in October, it rarely holds for long.