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Jesse Rogers
LOS ANGELES — It was a swing that could turn the World Series.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got a hanging sweeper from all-world pitcher/hitter Shohei Ohtani in the third inning of Game 4 of the World Series — and blasted it into the night sky just moments after the Los Angeles Dodgers had taken a 1-0 lead.
It was a critical swing for the Blue Jays mere hours after they lost a heartbreaking, 18-inning affair, putting Toronto behind in the series for the first time — and Guerrero’s homer gave the Jays a Game 4 lead they would never relinquish.
It was the latest in an October full of big moments produced by the face of his franchise, and the fact that it came against the Dodgers’ two-way phenom adds to an evolving storyline: Ohtani isn’t the only superstar in this World Series.
“That swing was huge,” manager John Schneider said after the win that tied the series at two games apiece. “A sweeper is a pitch designed to generate popups…and the swing that Vlad put on it was elite. After last night [Game 3] and kind of all the recognition that went into Shohei individually and he’s on the mound today, it’s a huge swing from Vlad. It’s a huge swing to get us going. I think that gives [us] some momentum.”
Guerrero has been giving the Blue Jays momentum all month, hitting .419 with seven home runs this postseason. But don’t just label him a free-swinging slugger. Though that description might fit his famous dad, the younger Guerrero is much, much more — and his teammates have taken notice throughout the postseason ride.
‘Grabbing some popcorn and watching him do his thing’
Max Scherzer is a future Hall of Famer pitching in the World Series for a fourth different franchise, and even the 41-year-old right-hander is impressed by what he has seen from Guerrero on a nightly basis.
“He’s just locked and loaded,” Scherzer said. “He’s such a force. To me, his greatness is beyond his offense. It’s his defense and baserunning too. He’s an all-around great player.”
But nothing else Guerrero has done this season compares to the show he has put on with the bat in his hands. Even his hitting coach, David Popkins, often finds himself watching his star like a fan would.
“It’s pretty much enjoying the show, grabbing some popcorn and watching him do his thing,” Popkins said with a laugh. “He’s ahead of every adjustment before we can get to him. I learn from him every day.
“And when those things click, it’s on like Donkey Kong.”
It’s a common theme from those playing with him this October.
Closer Jeff Hoffman said he is “on the edge of his seat” every night, waiting for Guerrero to do something special. Sometimes it comes with a big home run to left field and other times it’s just shooting the ball the other way for a single, as he also did in Game 4. Guerrero is the embodiment of spraying to all fields.
“It’s a quality at-bat every time,” third baseman Ernie Clement said. “It doesn’t have to be a homer. He is battling up there and seeing pitches and just making it really, really hard on the opposing pitchers.
“This postseason as a whole is just the most amazing baseball I’ve ever seen from him. And that’s saying something because he hit like .400 in the second half last year. This is the best version of him.”
‘Helping my team win some games’
On the heels of signing a massive $500 million contract that will keep him with the Blue Jays through the 2039 season, many of Guerrero’s teammates point to the extra pressure on their superstar’s shoulders to deliver this month — but he just keeps on living up to the expectations.
He hit .529 in the division series, .385 in the ALCS and is hitting .368 in the World Series so far. Guerrero was asked what has impressed him most about his own play after his Game 4 home run against Ohtani.
“That I am helping my team win some games,” he responded through the team interpreter. “That’s what I’m impressed with right now.”
The effects of his play were echoed throughout the locker room after the latest in a month of heroics.
“He never settles,” Popkins said. “He’s really grounded in who he is as a hitter and what his foundational beliefs are based off how he was raised. He’s special in that manner.”
‘I’d probably pitch around him’
Another regular spectator for “The Guerrero Show,” Jays reliever Eric Lauer, was asked how he would pitch to Guerrero. He paused before answering, shaking his head as he thought about it.
“I’d probably pitch around him,” Lauer said with a laugh. “His bat path is so smooth and long, I feel like he can get to anything.
“Whenever he comes up, we’re just like ‘Hang a slider or a curveball. Hang something. Or throw a fastball down the middle and see how far that goes.'”
“The cool thing about Valddy is he’s not a home-run-or-bust kind of hitter,” Hoffman added.
Even Guerrero could take a moment to appreciate his home run off the best player in the game. It came one night after Ohtani stole all the headlines, reaching base a record nine times in Game 3. The Dodgers star was denied a second straight night of glory, thanks to the second-best player on the field. On Tuesday, it was Guerrero who stole the show, giving his underdog Jays a chance to upset the defending champions.
“It was very important for me to hit that home run, and from that point on, we got going,” Guerrero said. “And I know basically myself and him [Ohtani], we are the talk of the series, but when we are between those two lines, we’re competing.
“It felt good that I could hit that homer against him.”