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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return 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 defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early blows and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that quickly became safe.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded hits, five brought home scores and the team converted nearly every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Next Up

The win ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an 11-4 win.