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Only 24 hours after staggering through one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series annals, the Blue Jays played with complete command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber delivered a composed start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, squaring the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the matchup will return to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had passed the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning Game 3 loss – equal to the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever – a loss that denied them the chance to take the lead in the matchup and depleted both bullpens. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a game, not the championship”. A day later, his squad provided emphatic proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's fly out. But the initial breakthrough did not shake a Toronto team that led MLB with 49 comeback victories this season.

They answered immediately in the third inning. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he drove it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his first long hit of the World Series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a new club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and shifting the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on Tuesday, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous marathon.

His pitch speed sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the contest progressed. Nonetheless, he showed glimpses of his typical control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Blue Jays made him work: six hits and four runs were charged to him in over six frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The bigger problem for the Dodgers was what came next when Ohtani finally ran out of steam.

Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement drilled a double off the wall to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not finish the inning.

Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before scoring the runner 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 remove the pitcher out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stem the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit RBI base hits through the infield, completing a four-run outburst that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's ability to absorb early setbacks and answer has characterized their whole postseason. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left Game 3 after tweaking his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was everything the Blue Jays needed. Traded for mid-season while completing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner stranded several baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' potent lineup. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the heart of the order in the sixth. He needed just four throws to get out Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, protecting a narrow advantage that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers' bats continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their last 20 frames, an sudden slowdown for a club that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Moments

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth inning when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without allowing a rally to develop.

After a game when the Blue Jays left a World Series-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed opportunities, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Toronto players recorded hits, 5 drove in runs and the squad cashed nearly every run-scoring chance available in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the championship title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not celebrated a title since Joe Carter's famous walk-off homer in 1993. They now know they are assured a full house in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and energy swinging to Toronto. Los Angeles pitcher Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to arrest the Blue Jays's surge. Toronto respond with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a rematch of the opener, when the Blue Jays knocked out the starter early in an decisive win.