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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. 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 contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.