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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided convincing proof.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial blows and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners aboard. 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 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and momentum swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.