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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team record – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a single to left field. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to absorb early blows and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that was among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.