Guerrero homers off Ohtani as Blue
Jays even World Series with 6-2 win over Dodgers in Game 4
[October 29, 2025]
By GREG BEACHAM
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodger Stadium was still shaking with joy when
Monday turned to Tuesday as the Toronto Blue Jays trudged into their
clubhouse. Their 18-inning loss in Game 3 felt like a monumental
setback that might have already decided the World Series.
That’s when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stepped up and told his team
exactly what it needed to hear.
For all its drama, Game 3 was no more important than Game 4.
“I was the last one to go in,” Guerrero said. “I saw everybody with
his head down. I said, ‘Come on, bro. Head up. It’s not over yet.
It’s not over yet. They gotta win four. Four games. You have to win
four games to win the World Series. It’s not over.’”
The Jays' leader then backed up his message by crushing another
timely homer Tuesday night, this one off Shohei Ohtani.
And after nine superb innings played in less than three tidy hours,
these profoundly resilient Blue Jays have evened the World Series
again.
Guerrero hit a two-run homer off Ohtani in the third inning, Shane
Bieber pitched four-hit ball into the sixth, and Toronto got back on
track with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Addison Barger had two hits and an RBI for the AL champion Blue
Jays, who coolly rebounded from their heartbreaking, late-night
defeat with stellar work at the plate and on the mound.
“Coming off what could be a back-breaking loss last night, it was an
absolute pleasure to show up today and see nobody changes,” Bieber
said. “Nobody ever wavers. Nobody ever hesitates. It’s the same
group of guys each and every day.”
By sending the defending champion Dodgers to just their third loss
in 14 games this postseason, the Blue Jays reclaimed homefield
advantage and guaranteed the World Series trophy will be won at
Rogers Centre.
“I believe in this team, man,” said Guerrero, who spurred the Jays
with his seventh homer of the postseason. “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 over 17 hours after he reached base nine times and
smashed four extra-base hits in the Dodgers’ stirring victory.
He yielded four runs on six hits while pitching six-plus innings
with six strikeouts in Game 4. And after Guerrero hit his majestic
homer, the Blue Jays tagged Ohtani for two more while chasing him
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.
He didn't have the only poor performance at bat for the powerhouse
Dodgers, who mustered just six hits — only one for extra bases.
“We're facing quality arms at this time of year against really good
teams," Ohtani said through his interpreter. "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 AL Cy Young Award winner gave up just one run over 5 1/3
innings in a resilient World Series debut.
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Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. points to his dugout after
hitting a two run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third
inning in Game 4 of baseball's World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025,
in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
An Orange County native with friends and family
roaring for him from the loge level at Dodger Stadium, Bieber issued
three walks, but repeatedly got out of trouble. He stranded four
runners before Mason Fluharty relieved him in the sixth and stranded
two more — and the Blue Jays took control moments later with their
seventh-inning rally.
“I think that we knew it was going to be a great series,” Dodgers
manager Dave Roberts said. “This team is talented, they’re resilient
— talking about the Blue Jays — and they came back fighting. Bieber
does what he does ... and we really didn’t get a whole lot of good
swings. Conversely, you see those guys grinding and using the whole
field and putting some hits together. We just didn’t have an
answer.”
Ohtani took the mound again 11 days after he hit three homers and
struck out 10 Milwaukee Brewers in arguably the greatest single-game
performance in baseball playoff history to clinch the NL pennant.
Although his fastball velocity was down to 97.6 mph from his season
average of 98.5, Ohtani largely stayed out of trouble with effective
breaking stuff.
He also drew a six-pitch leadoff walk to reach base for the 11th
straight time, extending his World Series record — but he didn't get
on base again.
The Dodgers scored first for the fourth consecutive game when Kiké
Hernández’s sacrifice fly brought home Max Muncy in the second. But
the Blue Jays finally got to Ohtani in the third, ending their
13-inning scoring drought with a big swing from their star slugger.
Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single before Guerrero hammered a
misplaced breaking ball from Ohtani over the left-center wall.
Guerrero has set Toronto postseason records with seven homers and 14
RBIs this month.
“A sweeper is a pitch designed to generate popups, and the swing
that Vlad put on it was elite,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.
“After last night and all the recognition that went into Shohei
individually, and he's on the mound today, it's a huge swing from
Vlad. It's a huge swing to get us going, and it gives you some
momentum.”
Ohtani retired 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer, but the Blue Jays
chased him with Daulton Varsho's single and Ernie Clement's double
off the wall to start the seventh. Toronto scored on Andrés
Giménez's single and Ty France's groundout off Anthony Banda before
Bo Bichette and Barger added RBI singles off struggling reliever
Blake Treinen.
Toronto played without ALCS hero George Springer, who left Game 3 in
the seventh inning after injuring his right side on a swing.
Up next
Dodgers lefty Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) faces Blue Jays rookie
Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26) in the pivotal Game 5. It's a pitching
rematch of the Series opener, when Toronto handed Snell his only
loss of a previously dominant postseason by chasing him at the start
of a nine-run sixth inning in an 11-4 win. Yesavage pitched four
innings of two-run ball.
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