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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new team record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 separate Toronto players collected hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an decisive win.