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Less than a day after staggering through one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, tying the World Series at two wins apiece and guaranteeing the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the early hours of the next day processing their marathon third game defeat – tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to take the lead in the series and depleted both bullpens. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a contest, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic evidence.

Early Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a single and crossed the plate on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded immediately in the third. Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero stepped in hunting a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this postseason – a new team record – regaining the Toronto's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Performance

That hit also ended Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Dodgers' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recover from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was under his regular-season average and he labored more as the game progressed. Nonetheless, he showed flashes of his typical command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even walked in the first to continue his World Series record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were credited to him in over six innings.

Late Game Surge

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

Daulton Varsho opened the seventh inning with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with no outs. Dave Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a standing ovation from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not finish the escape.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and immediately trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left field. France came up next with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also was unable to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run barrage that extended the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Blue Jays's ability to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their entire postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the injured leadoff man who left Game 3 after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto needed. Traded for during the summer while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left several runners and quieted the Los Angeles' potent batting order. He gave up one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty to face the core of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty needed just four pitches to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' offense kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only 3 runs over their last 20 innings, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among baseball's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

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

After a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. 6 different Toronto players collected base hits, five drove in scores and the team converted nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in LA.

Game 5 approaches with the matchup reset and energy swinging to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Blue Jays's momentum. The Blue Jays counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Toronto chased the starter early in an 11-4 win.