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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club record – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his regular-season average and he labored more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually lost steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted almost every run-scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an 11-4 win.