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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit 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 entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.