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

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave 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.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and answer has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that was among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring chance available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive win.