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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new team mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base 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 recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad converted almost every scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive win.