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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “they took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new club mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.