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

Guerrero crushed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to lead the matchup and burned through both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad provided convincing evidence.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 scoreless innings and changing the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat below his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four earned runs were charged to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to pull the starter, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner with a single to left. 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. Blake Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring singles through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that extended the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial blows and answer has characterized their entire postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager called on rookie 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, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats kept to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all year.

Final Moments

The Los Angeles managed a score in the ninth inning when Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a base on balls and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 different Toronto players collected hits, five drove in scores and the squad converted almost every scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the World Series title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed house in Toronto on Friday night – and perhaps the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the matchup reset and momentum shifting north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 victory.