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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh club record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. 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 problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a groundout 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 rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Final Innings

The Dodgers 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 two on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded base hits, five brought home runs and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an decisive win.