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Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed start 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 wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one away base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

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

Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players recorded base hits, five brought home scores and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Carter's iconic game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell early in an 11-4 win.