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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game 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 won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly grew safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Final Innings

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

Following a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an decisive win.