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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “they won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, 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 standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

After a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.