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Less than a day after enduring one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the World Series at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider stated later that “they took a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his team provided convincing proof.

Initial Innings

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

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Toronto's advantage after 13 scoreless innings and shifting the tone of the night.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had hit two homers and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

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

Varsho started the seventh inning with a sharp single to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda inherited the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a base hit to left. France followed with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early setbacks and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while finishing rehab from elbow surgery, the former award-winning winner left multiple runners and quieted the Dodgers' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth inning. He needed just four pitches to get out Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only 3 runs over their last 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's top offenses all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to develop.

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a World Series-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. Six separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the team cashed almost every scoring chance available in the final stanzas.

Next Up

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now are aware they are guaranteed a packed house in Toronto on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game approaches with the series even and energy swinging north. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter early in an 11-4 win.