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Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Canada.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day dealing with their marathon Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that cost them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a fresh club record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was under his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his World Series streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had little choice but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left field. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early blows and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. Fluharty required just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Final Innings

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

After a game when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Toronto players collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed almost every run-scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Next Up

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not won a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the series even and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an decisive victory.