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Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the series even and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an decisive victory.