Blue Jays trade deadline pickup out duels Ohtani in World Series start

Game 4 of the 2025 World Series goes to the Toronto Blue Jays after a big 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the series now tied at two, the Fall Classic sees at least one more game at the Rogers Centre this Friday night. The win also restores the Blue Jays' home-field advantage.

It was the bounce back the Blue Jays needed after an insane 18-inning Game 3 loss that lasted over six hours. Toronto's offensive production was led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who hit his franchise-record-breaking seventh playoff home run off Shohei Ohtani in the third inning.

Vladdy wasn't the only one who got the best of Ohtani. On the mound, it was the Blue Jays' biggest acquisition at the trade deadline earlier this year who walked away with one of the biggest wins in 2025.

Shane Bieber bests Shohei Ohtani on the mound

Shane Bieber emerged with his first World Series win Tuesday night, outdueling the two-way Japanese phenom. Bieber threw 5.1 strong innings, only allowing one earned run on four hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. His biggest strikeout came in the third inning when he got his counterpart to strikeout swinging and end his 11-game on-base streak.

Bieber was consistent on the mound with his four-seam fastball and cutter, using both pitches 22 times. But it was his knuckle curveball that had most batters chasing, primarily through the third turn of the Dodgers lineup, with a rate of 33%. He would connect with 61% of his pitches for first pitch strikes and didn't throw more than 20 pitches each inning.

Ohtani would throw six innings while giving up four earned runs on six strikeouts. The Blue Jays racked up their hits with Ohtani's heaters, most of them on the inner part of the plate. Five of Ohtani's six strikeouts came from breaking balls. Daulton Varsho and Ernie Clement had back-to-back hits on his four-seam fastball, which led to Ohtani being taken out of the game in the seventh inning.

When Bieber was brought in by the Blue Jays back in July, it was to assure they'd have him in big spots for a deep playoff run. As it turns out, the trade paid off not only with a deep playoff run but also with a quality start in the World Series. The days of concern about how Bieber would play after Tommy John Surgery are in the rearview mirror, as he helped even the Fall Classic.

Game 5 of the 2025 World Series happens Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium with first pitch at 8:08pm EST.