Toronto Blue Jays hold 2-1 lead over Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series

looking for forward to biz 4 of the domain Series

What being a sports fan can do to your heart rate

What does the Toronto Blue Jays team mean to Canadians?

Kids share their message for the Blue Jays team

The science of a perfect home run

The Dodgers' Anthony Banda took over for Ohtani in the top of the seventh, entering the game with runners on second and third, and no outs.

Giménez came to the plate for the Jays, tasked with trying to bring some insurance runs in for Toronto.

Banda and Giménez battled to a full count, then a pair of fouls.

But Giménez bested Banda with a single, bringing home Varsho and padding the Jays' lead to 3-1. Clement moved up to third on the same play.

The scrappy infielder just keeps chugging along.

Clement’s 10-game hitting streak, which continued with that seventh-inning double, tied Roberto Alomar and Devon White for the second-longest run in Blue Jays post-season history.

The Blue Jays struggled badly with runners in scoring position in Game 3.

Now, with men on second and third and nobody out, they must cash in against Dodgers’ reliever Anthony Banda.

Insurance runs are critical, to say the least — especially with Ohtani due at least one more plate appearance.

Varsho hit a leadoff single to right field, to give the Blue Jays a runner on first with no outs.

Clement followed that with a double that bounced off the outfield wall, sending Varsho to third base.

The Dodgers then pulled Ohtani.

Fluharty faced a high-pressure setting — two Dodgers on, just one out — as he entered the game in the bottom of the sixth.

The left-hander was up against Muncy, who hit a fly ball to centre, but Varsho caught it, giving the Jays their second out.

That brought up Edman and Fluharty got a strikeout to end the Dodgers' threat in the sixth.

Normally, a manager’s visit to the mound spells the end of an outing for the pitcher.

Bieber, however, talked his way into staying in this game — only to allow a Teoscar Hernández single on the very next pitch. Schneider then came trotting out once again, and there was no conversation to be had: time for the bullpen.

All in all, it will go down as a solid performance through 5.1 innings for Bieber, who battled command at times but also looked sharp, striking Ohtani out twice.

Freeman hit a liner to first base that Guerrero couldn't stop, allowing the Dodgers first baseman to notch a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth.

Smith followed that up with a sharp liner, caught by a sliding Varsho to get the Jays a critical first out and keep Freeman on first.

Teoscar Hernández then hit a single to centre field, putting runners at first and second, with one out.

That marked the end of Bieber's start, as Schneider then pulled him in favour of reliever Mason Fluharty.

Bichette led off the sixth for the Blue Jays. He battled Ohtani, eventually hitting a fly ball to left field, which Enrique Hernández caught for the first out.

Barger then hit a ball right to Ohtani, which the pitcher fielded to make the second out of the inning.

Kirk, the Jays' catcher, came to the plate with two out and no one on. He struck out to end the top of the sixth.

Both starters are through five innings, and with it being a one-run game, we’re starting to reach that time when every decision, every at-bat, every pitch feels critical.

How long will Bieber and Ohtani last on the mound? Who are Schneider’s trusted relievers? Is Springer available to pinch-hit? And if so, when would be the ideal time to use him?

We’ll find out the answers to all of those questions soon.

Bieber was back for the top of the fifth, facing Pages to start.

The Dodgers' number-nine batter hit a fly ball to right field, caught by Barger to give the Jays their first out.

Ohtani then came to bat for the third time in the game and struck out — for the second time.

Betts then lined out to Varsho in centre to end the inning.

---

---