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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a new club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an decisive victory.