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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed nearly every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.