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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles 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 early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and got on base a historic 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 requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually ran out of energy.

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 no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that was among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Final Innings

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

After a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.