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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most draining defeats in Fall Classic history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will head back to Canada.

Toronto had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the lengthiest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that cost them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and burned through both relief corps. Manager John Schneider insisted afterwards that “they took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad provided convincing proof.

Early Innings

The Los Angeles again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays team that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind wins this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one away base hit to center field and Guerrero came to the plate looking for a curveball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and he drove it soaring over the left-center wall. It was his initial extra-base hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club mark – restoring the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's history-making streak of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had smashed two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's blast and striking out six. He even walked in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic streak. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

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

Varsho started the seventh with a clean single to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the fence to put two on with none out. Roberts had no option but to pull the starter, who exited to a roaring applause from the home crowd. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock the pitcher out of the contest. Treinen entered next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger hit RBI singles through the infield, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's ability to absorb early blows and respond has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired during the summer while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner stranded multiple baserunners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before the manager summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to face the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Edman, preserving a fragile advantage that quickly grew safe.

Converted starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Dodgers' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt slowdown for a club that ranked among baseball's elite lineups all year.

Final Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Edman hit into an out to score Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's two-base hit put runners on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a comeback to develop.

After a game when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 different Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in runs and the team cashed nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the final innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, 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 guaranteed a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Blue Jays's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto knocked out the starter early in an 11-4 win.