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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “they took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a slider 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 postseason – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly became safe.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded hits, five brought home scores and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 victory.