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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “they won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

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

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.