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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic 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 early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new club mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young 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 Schneider called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an decisive win.