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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Bieber provided a composed start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the series and burned through both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a game, not the championship”. A day later, his team offered emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out base hit to centre and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a slider up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the game.

Shohei's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat below his seasonal norm and he struggled more as the contest wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The bigger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he finally ran out of energy.

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who departed to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away fell behind. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and respond has characterized their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly became safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 innings, an abrupt slowdown for a team that was among MLB's elite lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of wasted chances, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the series reset and energy swinging north. Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell early in an decisive victory.