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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most draining losses in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his regular-season norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to withstand early setbacks and respond has defined their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays needed. Acquired during the summer while completing rehab from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, Game 4 was brutally effective. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted almost every run-scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter quickly in an 11-4 win.