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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They answered immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when Ohtani finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, five drove in scores and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive win.