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Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed complete control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had passed the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Skipper Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, moved up on a single and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Blue Jays team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this year.

They responded right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh homer this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed was under his seasonal average and he labored more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his World Series streak. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Late Game Rally

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

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stem the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-score outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to withstand early blows and respond has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just 4 throws to retire Muncy and Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that quickly grew safe.

Converted starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

Following a night when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. 6 different Blue Jays collected hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring chance available in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the championship trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in 1993. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup even and energy swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 win.