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Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out single to centre and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh club record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed was under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he eventually lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has defined their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly grew safe.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six separate Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed almost every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and energy shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.