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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought 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 sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon grew safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 win.