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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home runs and the team cashed almost every scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an decisive victory.