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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a team that was among MLB's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive victory.