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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting 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 Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally lost energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb initial setbacks and answer has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.