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Less than a day following enduring one of the most draining losses in World Series annals, the Toronto Blue Jays played with total control.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Bieber delivered a steady outing as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the World Series at two games each and ensuring the series will head back to Toronto.

Toronto had spent the morning of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the longest Fall Classic game ever – a loss that denied them the opportunity to lead the series and depleted both relief corps. Manager Schneider stated afterwards that “the Dodgers took a game, not the championship”. Twenty-three hours later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Initial Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and crossed the plate on Hernández's fly out. But the initial score did not rattle a Toronto club that topped Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins this season.

They responded right away in the third. Nathan Lukes lined a one-out single to center field and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and Guerrero sent it screaming over the left-center wall. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new team record – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout frames and changing the momentum of the night.

Ohtani's Night

That swing also halted Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 consecutive at-bats getting on base. The dual-threat phenomenon had smashed two homers and got on base a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' Game 3 walk-off. But on that night, he took the mound on limited rest – his briefest ever – after requiring an IV to recuperate from the prior extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity was under his seasonal average and he struggled more as the game progressed. Even so, he showed glimpses of his usual control, setting down 11 of 12 after Guerrero Jr's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic streak. But the Toronto made him work: six base hits and four earned runs were credited to him in six-plus frames.

Seventh Inning Surge

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what followed when Ohtani finally lost steam.

Varsho opened the seventh with a sharp hit to right, and Clement smashed a two-base hit off the wall to put two on with none out. Dave Roberts had little choice but to remove the starter, who exited to a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Los Angeles' bullpen could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda came into the jam and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a base hit to left field. France followed with a fielder's choice to make it 4-1, and that was sufficient to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stop the rally: Bo Bichette and Barger hit run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-run barrage that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Toronto's Resilience

The Blue Jays's capacity to withstand initial blows and respond has characterized their whole postseason. They once again succeeded without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after straining his oblique.

Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what Toronto needed. Acquired mid-season while finishing recovery from Tommy John surgery, the ex- Cy Young winner left several runners and quieted the Dodgers' dangerous lineup. He allowed one run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to confront the core of the order in the sixth inning. Fluharty needed just four throws to retire Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow lead that soon grew safe.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then worked a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. Los Angeles have produced only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a team that ranked among MLB's elite lineups all season.

Closing Innings

The Dodgers scraped a score in the ninth when Tommy Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Max Muncy's double put runners aboard. But Louis Varland closed it down without permitting a rally to build.

Following a night when Toronto left a Fall Classic-record 19 runners and collapsed after wave upon wave of missed chances, the fourth contest was brutally effective. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home runs and the squad converted nearly every run-scoring opportunity presented in the final stanzas.

Looking Ahead

The win guarantees the World Series trophy will be presented at their home stadium, where the Blue Jays have not celebrated a championship since Carter's famous game-winning homer in '93. They now are aware they are assured a packed crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and possibly Saturday – no matter what occurs next in Los Angeles.

Game 5 approaches with the series even and energy shifting north. Los Angeles pitcher Blake Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will attempt to halt the Toronto's surge. 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.