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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated later that “they won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak 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 briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early blows and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several runners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Closing Moments

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

After a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Toronto players collected hits, five brought home runs and the squad cashed almost every scoring chance presented in the late 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 Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.