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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto defeated 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 ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove 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 new club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early blows and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six separate Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad converted almost every scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.