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

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

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up 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 Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home scores and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.