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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive victory.