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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked 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 Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and energy shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.