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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles 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 return to Canada.

The Blue Jays 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 opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not shake a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all year.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a night when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed nearly every scoring opportunity available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an 11-4 victory.