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Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes lined a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand initial blows and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the team cashed almost every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.