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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

His fastball velocity was under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Blue Jays collected base hits, five drove in runs and the squad converted almost every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

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