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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero smashed 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 evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand early setbacks and answer has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected base hits, five brought home scores and the squad converted almost every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and energy shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.