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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto 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 guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed almost every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.