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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 home run and Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and burned through both relief corps. Manager Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout innings and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses 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 inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Late Game Rally

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before scoring the runner with a single to left. France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

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

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left multiple runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow lead that soon became comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite offenses all year.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a game when Toronto stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad converted almost every scoring opportunity available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.