Blue Jays Stun Dodgers 2-1 in Game 4, Force Deciding Stretch in 2025 World Series

The Toronto Blue Jays pulled off a gritty 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the 2025 World Series on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California — and suddenly, the series is alive again. Down 2-1, the Blue Jays didn’t need a barrage of home runs or a bullpen miracle this time. They just needed one swing — and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivered. His third-inning solo shot off Shohei Ohtani was the difference in a game where every pitch felt like a battle. Now, with the series tied 2-2, the pressure flips. The Dodgers, who had looked unstoppable after winning Games 2 and 3, are now the team under siege.

The Bullpen That Broke

Here’s the thing: nobody talked much about it before Game 4, but the numbers were screaming. Across Games 2 and 3, the Dodgers’ bullpen had thrown 13⅓ innings. The Blue Jays’ wasn’t far behind at 12⅔. That’s not just fatigue — that’s exhaustion. Pitchers were throwing on two days’ rest. Relievers were warming up twice in one game. And when Game 4 started, it was clear: the arms were tired. Shohei Ohtani, the 2025 National League MVP and Cy Young winner, pitched 7 innings, allowed just 4 hits, and struck out 8. He was dominant. But his teammates? They couldn’t scratch together more than one run. For the fourth straight game, the Dodgers scored first — and for the fourth straight game, they couldn’t hold it.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays did something bold. With their bullpen spent, manager John Schneider turned to Shane Bieber on three days’ rest — a move that looked risky, even desperate. But Bieber, the former Cy Young winner who had been sidelined for most of the regular season with shoulder issues, looked like his 2021 self. He threw 7.2 innings, struck out 10, and escaped multiple jams, including a bases-loaded situation in the fifth with a strikeout of switch-hitter Tommy Edman on three pitches. "We knew we needed a starter to eat innings," Schneider said after the game. "Shane didn’t just give us innings — he gave us composure."

Ohtani’s Silent Night

It was one of the most surreal nights in World Series history. Ohtani, who had tied Game 3 with a seventh-inning homer — his third of the series — came out to pitch again. He didn’t hit. He didn’t even bat. The Dodgers’ offense, which had been electric through the first three games, went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They left 11 men on base. Dalton Voth led off the seventh with a single against Ohtani, but the next three batters — Mookie Betts, Taylor Ward, and Freddie Freeman — went down in order. No rally. No magic. Just silence.

Ohtani, who had pitched 16 innings over his two starts, looked drained by the ninth. He threw 114 pitches. He was sharp — but not enough. The Blue Jays’ defense held. The Dodgers’ bats didn’t. And when Hyun-Jin Ryu closed the game with a 1-2-3 ninth, the crowd at Dodger Stadium, usually so loud, was eerily quiet.

Game 5: The Toss-Up

Now, the series heads into Game 5 on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 — and the matchup is a tale of two extremes. The Dodgers are sending Blake Snell back out, despite his disastrous Game 1 outing, where he gave up five home runs in just 3.2 innings. Snell, who had posted a 2.14 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 21 postseason innings before that game, is now the man the Dodgers are betting on to reclaim his form. "We have full confidence in Blake," pitching coach Mark Prior said before Game 4. "He’s been our ace all season for a reason."

But the Blue Jays aren’t playing it safe. They’re starting rookie Trey Yesavage, a 23-year-old who had never pitched above Double-A before this postseason. Yesavage went 2-1 in the playoffs, allowing just two earned runs in 15 innings — including only one run in his Game 1 start against the Dodgers. He’s untested, yes — but he’s calm. And in a series this tight, that might be more valuable than experience.

The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever

The winner of Game 5 doesn’t just get momentum — they get home-field advantage in a potential Game 7. The Blue Jays, who haven’t reached the World Series since their back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993, are one win away from returning to Rogers Centre in Toronto for Game 6 on Friday, October 31. The Dodgers, seeking their eighth title after winning in 2020 and 2024, are one loss away from being forced to win two on the road just to close it out.

There’s a quiet tension in the air. The Blue Jays aren’t just playing for a title — they’re playing to prove they belong. The Dodgers aren’t just defending a legacy — they’re fighting to avoid becoming the team that choked when it mattered most.

What Comes Next

If the Blue Jays win Game 5, they’ll return to Toronto with a chance to clinch the championship on home soil — something no team has done since the 2016 Cubs. If the Dodgers win, they’ll force a Game 6 in Toronto and put the pressure back on the Jays to avoid elimination. Either way, this series has turned into a chess match — and both managers are running out of pawns.

One thing’s clear: after 13⅓ innings of bullpen work in two games, nobody’s fresh. But in October, the team that holds together — emotionally, physically, mentally — wins. And right now, the Blue Jays look like the team that still believes.