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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered convincing proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Blue Jays club that led MLB with 49 comeback wins this season.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this postseason – a new team mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when he finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who left Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that quickly became safe.

Converted 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 last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that was among baseball's top offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players collected hits, five brought home scores and the team converted nearly every scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell early in an decisive victory.