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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday dealing with their marathon third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered emphatic evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second inning, advanced on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club record – regaining the Toronto's advantage after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed was below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his typical command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he eventually ran out of steam.

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean single to right field, and Clement smashed a double off the fence to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before driving in Varsho with a single to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured leadoff hitter who exited the third game after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on first-year left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He required just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon became safe.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense kept to struggle. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that was among MLB's top offenses all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland finished the game without allowing a rally to develop.

Following a game when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six different Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the team converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity available in the final innings.

Next Up

The win guarantees the championship title will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's iconic walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's surge. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays knocked out Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.