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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady start as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager John Schneider insisted later that “the Dodgers took a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team provided emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy drew a walk in the second, moved up on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's fly out. But the early score did not rattle a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind wins this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight at-bats reaching base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base 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 extra-inning game.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed flashes of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and fanning six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his World Series record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Rally

The larger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani eventually lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam 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 Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit run-scoring base hits through the infield, completing a four-score barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to absorb early blows and answer has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks before the manager summoned first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just 4 pitches to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their previous 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman hit into an out to score Hernández after a base on balls and Muncy's two-base hit put runners aboard. But Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to build.

After a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, 5 brought home runs and the squad cashed almost every run-scoring opportunity presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship title will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run 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.

Game 5 approaches with the series reset and energy shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an decisive victory.