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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto 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 ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new team record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an 11-4 win.