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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not rattle a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

His pitch speed was below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-score barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an sudden downturn for a team that was among MLB's top lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 brought home runs and the team converted nearly every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an decisive victory.