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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers 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 requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

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

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly became safe.

Former 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 club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

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

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.