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Less than a day after 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 composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a fresh club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed was under his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue 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.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. Ty France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and answer has defined their whole run. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became safe.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have produced only three scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that was among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive victory.