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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning 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 closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home runs and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.