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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon grew safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a team that was among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays collected base hits, five brought home scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an decisive victory.