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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 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 earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early blows and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted nearly every scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell early in an decisive victory.