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Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

After a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.