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Less than a day following enduring one of the most exhausting defeats in World Series history, the Toronto Blue Jays played with complete control.

Guerrero smashed a two-run home run and Shane Bieber provided a steady start as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at their home ballpark, tying the Fall Classic at two games each and guaranteeing the series will head back to Canada.

The Blue Jays had spent the early hours of Tuesday processing their 18-inning third game defeat – equal to the lengthiest World Series contest ever – a defeat that cost them the chance to take the lead in the series and depleted both relief corps. Skipper John Schneider insisted afterwards that “the Dodgers won a game, not the World Series”. A day later, his team offered convincing evidence.

Early Action

The Dodgers again struck first. Max Muncy walked in the second, moved up on a single and scored on Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the initial score did not shake a Blue Jays club that topped MLB with 49 come-from-behind victories this year.

They responded right away in the third. Lukes hit a one away single to centre and Guerrero came to the plate hunting a breaking ball. Shohei Ohtani left a slider up and Guerrero sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial extra-base hit of the series and his 7th homer this playoffs – a new club mark – restoring the Blue Jays's advantage after 13 scoreless frames and shifting the tone of the game.

Ohtani's Night

That hit also halted Shohei Ohtani's history-making run of 11 straight plate appearances reaching base. The two-way phenomenon had hit two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Dodgers' Game 3 comeback win. But on Tuesday, he started on short rest – his briefest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the prior marathon.

Ohtani fastball velocity was below his seasonal norm and he labored more as the contest wore on. Even so, he showed flashes of his usual command, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's homer and fanning six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to continue his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto forced him to labor: six base hits and four runs were charged to him in six-plus frames.

Late Game Rally

The larger issue for the Dodgers was what came next when he eventually ran out of energy.

Varsho opened the seventh inning with a clean hit to right, and Clement smashed a double off the wall to put two on with no outs. Roberts had little choice but to remove Ohtani, who departed to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Dodgers' relief corps could not complete the escape.

Anthony Banda came into the mess and right away trailed in the count. Giménez battled to a full count before scoring 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 enough to remove Banda out of the game. Blake Treinen entered next but also was unable to stop the momentum: Bo Bichette and Addison Barger punched RBI singles through the diamond, capping a four-run barrage that extended the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Toughness

The Toronto's capacity to absorb early setbacks and respond has characterized their whole run. They once again succeeded without Springer, the hurt top-of-the-order hitter who exited Game 3 after straining his right side.

Shane Bieber, in contrast, was exactly what the Blue Jays required. Traded for mid-season while completing recovery from elbow surgery, the ex- award-winning winner stranded several runners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He allowed one earned run on four base hits and three free passes before Schneider summoned rookie pitcher Mason Fluharty to confront the core of the lineup in the sixth inning. He required just four throws to get out Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a narrow advantage that soon became comfortable.

Former starter Chris Bassitt then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth as the Los Angeles' offense continued to sputter. The Dodgers have scored only three runs over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that was among MLB's elite offenses all season.

Closing Moments

The Los Angeles managed a run in the ninth inning when Edman hit into an out to bring home Teoscar Hernández after a walk and Muncy's double put two aboard. But Louis Varland finished the game without permitting a rally to build.

Following a game when the Blue Jays left a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and collapsed after repeated of missed chances, the fourth contest was ruthlessly efficient. 6 separate Blue Jays collected hits, five brought home scores and the team converted almost every scoring chance presented in the late innings.

Looking Ahead

The win ensures the championship trophy will be awarded at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays have not won a championship since Joe Carter's iconic game-winning homer in '93. They now know they are assured a full crowd in Canada on Friday evening – and perhaps the next day – no matter what happens next in Los Angeles.

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