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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand early blows and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that was among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted nearly every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive victory.