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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with complete control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed flashes of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.