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Only 24 hours following 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 homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider stated later that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam.

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.