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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was under his regular-season 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 walked in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

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

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon grew safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players recorded hits, five brought home runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive win.