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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké 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. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star 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 shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded hits, five brought home runs and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive victory.