LOS ANGELES — It was a swing that would flip the World Collection.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bought a dangling sweeper from all-world pitcher/hitter Shohei Ohtani within the third inning of Sport 4 of the World Collection — and blasted it into the night time sky simply moments after the Los Angeles Dodgers had taken a 1-0 lead.
It was a important swing for the Blue Jays mere hours after they misplaced a heartbreaking, 18-inning affair, placing Toronto behind within the collection for the primary time — and Guerrero’s homer gave the Jays a Sport 4 lead they’d by no means relinquish.
It was the newest in an October full of massive moments produced by the face of his franchise, and the truth that it got here in opposition to the Dodgers’ two-way phenom provides to an evolving storyline: Ohtani is not the one celebrity on this World Collection.
“That swing was enormous,” supervisor John Schneider mentioned after the win that tied the collection at two video games apiece. “A sweeper is a pitch designed to generate popups…and the swing that Vlad placed on it was elite. After final night time [Game 3] and type of all the popularity that went into Shohei individually and he is on the mound at present, it is an enormous swing from Vlad. It is an enormous swing to get us going. I feel that offers [us] some momentum.”
Guerrero has been giving the Blue Jays momentum all month, hitting .419 with seven dwelling runs this postseason. However do not simply label him a free-swinging slugger. Although that description would possibly match his well-known dad, the youthful Guerrero is far, far more — and his teammates have taken discover all through the postseason journey.
‘Grabbing some popcorn and watching him do his factor’
Max Scherzer is a future Corridor of Famer pitching within the World Collection for a fourth totally different franchise, and even the 41-year-old right-hander is impressed by what he has seen from Guerrero on a nightly foundation.
“He is simply locked and loaded,” Scherzer mentioned. “He is such a pressure. To me, his greatness is past his offense. It is his protection and baserunning too. He is an all-around nice participant.”
However nothing else Guerrero has finished this season compares to the present he has placed on with the bat in his fingers. Even his hitting coach, David Popkins, typically finds himself watching his star like a fan would.
“It is just about having fun with the present, grabbing some popcorn and watching him do his factor,” Popkins mentioned with fun. “He is forward of each adjustment earlier than we will get to him. I be taught from him each day.
“And when these issues click on, it is on like Donkey Kong.”
It is a frequent theme from these enjoying with him this October.
Nearer Jeff Hoffman mentioned he’s “on the sting of his seat” each night time, ready for Guerrero to do one thing particular. Generally it comes with a giant dwelling run to left discipline and different occasions it is simply capturing the ball the opposite manner for a single, as he additionally did in Sport 4. Guerrero is the embodiment of spraying to all fields.
“It is a high quality at-bat each time,” third baseman Ernie Clement mentioned. “It would not need to be a homer. He’s battling up there and seeing pitches and simply making it actually, actually exhausting on the opposing pitchers.
“This postseason as a complete is simply probably the most superb baseball I’ve ever seen from him. And that is saying one thing as a result of he hit like .400 within the second half final yr. That is the most effective model of him.”
‘Serving to my staff win some video games’
On the heels of signing an enormous $500 million contract that can maintain him with the Blue Jays via the 2039 season, a lot of Guerrero’s teammates level to the additional strain on their celebrity’s shoulders to ship this month — however he simply retains on residing as much as the expectations.
He hit .529 within the division collection, .385 within the ALCS and is hitting .368 within the World Collection up to now. Guerrero was requested what has impressed him most about his personal play after his Sport 4 dwelling run in opposition to Ohtani.
“That I’m serving to my staff win some video games,” he responded via the staff interpreter. “That is what I am impressed with proper now.”
The consequences of his play have been echoed all through the locker room after the newest in a month of heroics.
“He by no means settles,” Popkins mentioned. “He is actually grounded in who he’s as a hitter and what his foundational beliefs are primarily based off how he was raised. He is particular in that method.”
‘I would in all probability pitch round him’
One other common spectator for “The Guerrero Present,” Jays reliever Eric Lauer, was requested how he would pitch to Guerrero. He paused earlier than answering, shaking his head as he considered it.
“I would in all probability pitch round him,” Lauer mentioned with fun. “His bat path is so easy and lengthy, I really feel like he can get to something.
“Every time he comes up, we’re similar to ‘Dangle a slider or a curveball. Dangle one thing. Or throw a fastball down the center and see how far that goes.'”
“The cool factor about Valddy is he isn’t a home-run-or-bust type of hitter,” Hoffman added.
Even Guerrero might take a second to understand his dwelling run off the most effective participant within the sport. It got here one night time after Ohtani stole all of the headlines, reaching base a document 9 occasions in Sport 3. The Dodgers star was denied a second straight night time of glory, because of the second-best participant on the sphere. On Tuesday, it was Guerrero who stole the present, giving his underdog Jays an opportunity to upset the defending champions.
“It was essential for me to hit that dwelling run, and from that time on, we bought going,” Guerrero mentioned. “And I do know mainly myself and him [Ohtani], we’re the speak of the collection, however after we are between these two traces, we’re competing.
“It felt good that I might hit that homer in opposition to him.”