Series Tied — Dodgers Still in the Hunt
It’s been a hard-fought World Series so far. Toronto evened things up with a resounding 6–2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4, squaring the Fall Classic at two games apiece. The Blue Jays have proven they’re more than capable of backing up their words.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
It’s been a hard-fought World Series so far. Toronto evened things up with a resounding 6–2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4, squaring the Fall Classic at two games apiece. The Blue Jays have proven they’re more than capable of backing up their words.
Game 4 opened with Toronto starter Shane Bieber issuing a leadoff walk to Shohei Ohtani in the first inning, extending Ohtani’s streak of reaching base to 10 consecutive plate appearances. That followed his stunning Game 3 performance — four hits, two home runs, and six walks.
According to ESPN Insights, Ohtani’s six straight walks (spanning Games 3 and 4) set a new World Series record, surpassing Lou Gehrig’s mark of five consecutive walks from 1928. He also tied Corey Seager’s 2023 postseason record for the longest walk streak in MLB playoff history.
Bieber, a former AL Cy Young winner acquired by Toronto at the trade deadline from Cleveland, entered Game 4 with a 3.57 ERA this postseason. His strikeout of Ohtani in a key at-bat preserved a 2–1 Blue Jays lead at a pivotal moment. Bieber went five innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and three strikeouts.
“Coming off what could’ve been a back-breaking loss last night, it was an absolute pleasure to show up today and see nobody changed,” Bieber said. “Nobody ever wavers. Nobody ever hesitates. It’s the same group of guys each and every day.”
Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put the Blue Jays ahead for good with a two-run homer in the third inning and reached base three times, continuing his dominant postseason run.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted his club has struggled to find consistency. “We haven’t found our rhythm,” Roberts said. “It sort of draws dead at certain parts of the lineup — different innings, different games.”
Dodgers’ Game 3 Marathon Win
Before dropping Game 4, the Dodgers earned a thrilling 6–5 win in Game 3 — a historic 18-inning marathon that lasted six hours and 39 minutes. Freddie Freeman ended it in the bottom of the 18th with a 406-foot walk-off homer to center field off left-hander Brendon Little.
It was Freeman’s second World Series walk-off in as many years; he hit the first game-ending grand slam in Series history to win Game 1 of last year’s Fall Classic against the Yankees.
Clayton Kershaw, who had been warming up since the eighth inning, entered in the 12th with the bases loaded and two outs. The veteran ace induced a groundout from Nathan Lukes to escape the jam — a key turning point in what became an instant classic.
Shohei Ohtani, the scheduled starter for Game 4, reached base safely in all nine of his plate appearances during Game 3, continuing his unprecedented postseason run.
Around the Diamond
Hats off to Mark Wegner, who served as World Series crew chief for the first time. It’s his third Fall Classic in a 25-year umpiring career. Wegner called over 600 pitches during the epic Game 3 contest.
The rest of the umpiring crew includes Jordan Baker, Adam Hamari, Adrian Johnson, Will Little, Alan Porter, and John Tumpane. Porter is making his third World Series appearance, while Baker is on his second. Hamari, Johnson, Little, and Tumpane are all working their first.
Game 5 is set for Wednesday at 5 p.m. (PST) in Los Angeles, with the series now tied 2–2.
