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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed 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 evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 different Blue Jays collected base hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed nearly every scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an decisive victory.