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

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a composed outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the morning of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again scored first. Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early score did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh team mark – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh with a clean single to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff hitter who exited the third game after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left several baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth. He required just 4 throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Final Innings

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted chances, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 separate Toronto players collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad converted almost every scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off home run in 1993. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy shifting north. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays respond with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an decisive victory.