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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a composed outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “they took a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Blue Jays team that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement drilled a two-base hit off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left field. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's top offenses all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two on base. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. Six different Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team cashed almost every run-scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.