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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new team record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs 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 briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the series even and energy swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.