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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles 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 Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the longest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning 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.

Late Game Rally

The bigger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally lost energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early blows and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon became comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's top lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after wave upon wave of missed chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, five drove in runs and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance available in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased Snell quickly in an decisive win.