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

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season average and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps 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 driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted nearly every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are assured a full house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an decisive win.