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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he finally lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. Ty 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: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. He needed just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive win.