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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat below his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he displayed flashes of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what came next when he eventually lost energy.

Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among baseball's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring chance available in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the World Series trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the series even and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 win.