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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new team mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first 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 Surge

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice 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 mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home scores and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto 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 evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an 11-4 victory.