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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France came up next 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 was unable to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty required just four pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

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

After a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Next Up

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 win.