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Less than a day after enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in Fall Classic history, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and ensuring the matchup will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had passed the early hours of Tuesday processing their marathon Game 3 loss – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a defeat that denied them the chance to lead the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Manager Schneider insisted later that “they took a contest, not the World Series”. A day later, his squad offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Los Angeles again struck first. Muncy drew a walk in the second, advanced on a single and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out base hit to centre and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in looking for a breaking ball. Ohtani left a sweeper up and he drove it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his seventh home run this playoffs – a new team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the game.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also ended Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat star had hit two home runs and got on base 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 requiring an IV to recover from the prior extra-inning game.

His pitch speed sat under his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he displayed 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 Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays forced him to labor: six hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he finally lost steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right field, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with no outs. Dave 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 inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the jam and right away trailed in the count. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring Varsho with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to remove Banda out of the game. Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, capping a four-run barrage that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Toronto's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb initial setbacks and respond has defined their entire run. They once again did it without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order man who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto required. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from elbow surgery, the former Cy Young winner left multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. Fluharty needed just 4 pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon became safe.

Converted starting pitcher Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' bats continued to struggle. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their previous 20 frames, an sudden downturn for a team that ranked among MLB's top offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers managed a score in the ninth when Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's two-base hit put two on base. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

After a game when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded base hits, 5 drove in scores and the squad converted nearly every scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

The win ensures the championship trophy will be presented at Rogers Centre, where the Toronto have not celebrated a championship since Joe Carter's famous game-winning home run in 1993. They now know they are guaranteed a full house in Canada on Friday night – and perhaps Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 looms with the matchup reset and momentum shifting to Toronto. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased the starter quickly in an 11-4 victory.