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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed was under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring chance available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches 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 counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.