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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest World Series game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Early Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Banda came into the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand initial blows and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just 4 throws to get out Max Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to sputter. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, five brought home scores and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an 11-4 win.