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Only 24 hours following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not shake a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes hit a one-out base hit to center field and Guerrero stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way star had hit two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Los Angeles' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recover from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was under his seasonal average and he labored more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for Los Angeles was what followed when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early setbacks and respond has defined their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that was among baseball's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two on base. But Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to develop.

After a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what happens next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an decisive win.