Addison Barger had two hits and an RBI for the American League champions Blue Jays, who coolly rebounded from their heartbreaking, late-night defeat in Game 3 with stellar work at the plate and on the mound.
“Yesterday was a tough loss, but we flush it right away,” said Guerrero, who spurred the Jays with his seventh homer of the postseason. “To us, it’s one game at a time, one pitch at a time.”
By sending the defending champions Dodgers to just their third loss in 14 games this postseason, the Blue Jays reclaimed home-field advantage and guaranteed the World Series trophy will be won at Rogers Centre.
“I believe in this team, man,” Guerrero said. “This team is something special.”
Game 5 is Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, with Game 6 in Toronto on Friday.
Ohtani redefined the concept of short rest by taking the World Series mound just more than 17 hours after he reached base nine times and smashed four extra-base hits in the Dodgers’ stirring victory.
He yielded six hits and four runs while pitching into the seventh inning with six strikeouts in Game 4.
After Guerrero hit his majestic homer in the third, the Blue Jays added two more while chasing Ohtani during their four-run seventh.
Ohtani couldn’t make up for it at the plate, going 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts. He was on deck when the game ended.
The Dodgers had just six hits, only one for extra bases.
“We’re facing quality arms at this time of year against really good teams,” Ohtani said. “We’re facing the best of the best, so I think it’s not that easy. At the same time, we could do at least the bare minimum and put up some runs.”
The Dodgers’ two-way superstar was outpitched by Bieber, the Blue Jays newcomer who returned from Tommy John surgery in late August. The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner gave up just one run in a resilient World Series debut.
Toronto played without American League Championship Series hero George Springer, who left Game 3 in the seventh inning after injuring his right side on a swing. (AP)
