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Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a new club mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to withstand early blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every scoring opportunity presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell early in an decisive victory.