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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a new team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early blows and answer has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before the manager called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats continued to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

Following a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, five drove in scores and the squad cashed almost every scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series even and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander 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 Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.