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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he finally lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Final Innings

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

After a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive win.