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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. 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 seventh home run this playoffs – a new team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players recorded base hits, five brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an 11-4 victory.