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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes lined a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

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

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally ran out of energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that quickly became comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a night when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six separate Blue Jays collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in '93. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.