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Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new team record – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That swing also halted Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right, and Clement drilled a double off the fence to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Dodgers' potent batting order. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without permitting a comeback to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally effective. 6 separate Toronto players recorded hits, five drove in runs and the team converted almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not won a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup even and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. The Blue Jays 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 decisive victory.