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Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early blows and answer 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 exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted almost every scoring chance available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie 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.