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Less than a day following staggering through one of the most exhausting losses in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a composed start as Toronto beat the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of the next day processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered emphatic proof.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second inning, advanced on a base hit and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Toronto club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one away single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the series and his seventh homer this playoffs – a fresh team record – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two homers and reached safely a record nine times in the Dodgers' third game walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four earned runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Seventh Inning Rally

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what followed when he finally ran out of energy.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately fell behind. Andrés Giménez fought to a full count before driving in the runner with a single to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove the pitcher out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

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

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several baserunners and quieted the Dodgers' potent batting order. He allowed one run on four base hits and three walks before the manager called on first-year pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats continued to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only 3 scores over their previous 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a team that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all season.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a run in the ninth when Edman grounded out to score Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to develop.

After a game when Toronto left a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after wave upon wave of wasted chances, Game 4 was brutally efficient. Six separate Toronto players collected base hits, five drove in runs and the team cashed almost every scoring chance available in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Carter's iconic walk-off home run in '93. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game approaches with the series reset and momentum swinging north. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's surge. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of Game 1, when the Toronto chased the starter quickly in an decisive victory.