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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider stated later that “they won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Action

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

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre 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 outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh club mark – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal average and he labored more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players collected hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.