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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.