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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean hit to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Toronto players collected base hits, five brought home scores and the squad converted almost every run-scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.