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

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an 11-4 win.