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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning 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 six-plus innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring 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 sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after straining his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly became safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays recorded hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 win.