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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally effective. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the team cashed almost every scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy 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 '93. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive win.