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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players recorded base hits, five brought home runs and the squad converted nearly every scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the series reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell early in an decisive win.