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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day 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 series and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.