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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most draining defeats in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will return to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of Tuesday dealing with their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that cost them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted later that “they took a game, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

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

They responded immediately in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one away single to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani threw a slider up and he sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his seventh home run this postseason – a fresh team mark – regaining the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

Ohtani pitch speed was below his regular-season norm and he struggled more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were credited to him in six-plus innings.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with no outs. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner 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 the pitcher out of the game. Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring base hits through the diamond, completing a four-score barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial setbacks and respond has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner left several runners and silenced the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned first-year pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. He needed just four throws to retire Max Muncy and Edman, protecting a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's top lineups all season.

Final Innings

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

After a night when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly effective. Six different Toronto players collected base hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a full crowd in Toronto on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

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