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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right field, and 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 local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He required just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that quickly became comfortable.

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

Closing Moments

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

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad converted nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series even and momentum shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.