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Only 24 hours after enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series history, the Blue Jays played with total control.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr smashed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a composed outing as Toronto defeated 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 guaranteeing the matchup will head back to Toronto.

The Blue Jays had spent the morning of the next day dealing with their 18-inning Game 3 loss – tied for the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper Schneider insisted afterwards that “they won a contest, not the World Series”. Twenty-three hours later, his squad offered convincing proof.

Initial Innings

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, moved up on a base hit and crossed the plate on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto team that topped MLB with 49 comeback wins this year.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one-out base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr came to the plate hunting a curveball. Shohei Ohtani threw a slider up and Guerrero drove it screaming over the outfield fence. It was his first long hit of the series and his 7th home run this playoffs – a fresh club record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the night.

Shohei's Performance

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 consecutive plate appearances getting on base. The two-way star had hit two home runs and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 comeback win. But on that night, he took the mound on short rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he struggled more as the game wore on. Nonetheless, he displayed glimpses of his usual command, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first to continue his World Series streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger problem for Los Angeles was what came next when he finally lost steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Ernie Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put runners on with none out. Roberts had no option but to remove Ohtani, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Dodgers' bullpen could not finish the escape.

Banda inherited the mess and immediately fell behind. Giménez fought to a 3-2 count before driving in Varsho with a base hit to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, capping a four-run outburst that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and answer has defined their entire run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the injured top-of-the-order man who exited the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the former award-winning winner stranded multiple runners and quieted the Los Angeles' dangerous batting order. He gave up one run on four hits and three walks before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Fluharty to confront the heart of the lineup in the sixth. Fluharty required just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to struggle. Los Angeles have scored only three scores over their last 20 frames, an abrupt downturn for a club that ranked among MLB's top lineups all year.

Final Innings

The Los Angeles scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman grounded out to bring home Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put two aboard. But Varland closed it down without allowing a comeback to build.

After a night when Toronto stranded a World Series-record 19 runners and fell apart after repeated of missed opportunities, Game 4 was ruthlessly effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded hits, 5 brought home scores and the squad cashed nearly every scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The victory guarantees the World Series title will be presented at their home stadium, where the Toronto have not won a title since Carter's famous walk-off homer in '93. They now know they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday night – and possibly the next day – no matter what occurs next in LA.

The fifth game looms with the matchup reset and momentum swinging north. Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to arrest the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with first-year player Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of the opener, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an 11-4 victory.