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Only 24 hours following enduring one of the most exhausting losses in World Series annals, the Blue Jays displayed total command.

Guerrero crushed a two-run homer and Shane Bieber provided a steady outing as Toronto defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in the fourth game on Tuesday evening at Dodger Stadium, squaring the World Series at two wins apiece and ensuring the series will return to Canada.

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

Early Innings

The Dodgers again scored first. Max Muncy walked in the second, advanced on a base hit and scored on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly. But the early breakthrough did not rattle a Blue Jays club that led Major League Baseball with 49 come-from-behind victories this season.

They answered right away in the third inning. Lukes lined a one away base hit to center field and Vladimir Guerrero Jr stepped in hunting a curveball. Ohtani threw a sweeper up and he sent it soaring over the outfield fence. It was his initial long hit of the World Series and his 7th homer this postseason – a fresh team mark – restoring the Blue Jays's lead after 13 shutout innings and changing the momentum of the night.

Shohei's Night

That swing also ended Shohei Ohtani's record-setting run of 11 straight plate appearances getting on base. The dual-threat star had smashed two home runs and reached safely a historic nine times in the Los Angeles' third game comeback win. But on that night, he started on limited rest – his shortest ever – after needing an IV to recuperate from the previous extra-inning game.

His fastball velocity sat under his regular-season average and he labored more as the game progressed. Even so, he displayed glimpses of his usual control, retiring 11 of 12 after Guerrero's blast and striking out six. He even drew a walk in the first inning to extend his Fall Classic record. But the Toronto made him work: six hits and four earned 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 steam.

Daulton Varsho started the seventh with a sharp single to right, and Clement drilled a double off the fence to put runners on with none out. Dave Roberts had no option but to pull Ohtani, who exited to a roaring applause from the local fans. The Los Angeles' relief corps could not complete the inning.

Anthony Banda inherited the mess and right away trailed in the count. Andrés Giménez battled to a 3-2 count before driving in the runner with a single to left. Ty France came up next with a groundout to make it 4-1, and that was enough to knock Banda out of the contest. Blake Treinen came in next but also failed to stem the momentum: Bichette and Addison Barger punched run-scoring singles through the diamond, completing a four-score outburst that pushed the margin to 6-1.

Blue Jays's Resilience

The Toronto's capacity to withstand initial setbacks and respond has characterized their entire run. They once again did it without George Springer, the hurt leadoff man who left the third game after tweaking his oblique.

Bieber, meanwhile, was everything Toronto required. Acquired during the summer while finishing rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ex- award-winning winner left multiple baserunners and silenced the Los Angeles' dangerous lineup. He gave up one earned run on four base hits and three walks before Schneider called on rookie left-hander Fluharty to face the core of the order in the sixth inning. He required just four pitches to retire Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, preserving a fragile lead that soon grew comfortable.

Former starter Bassitt then pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings as the Los Angeles' bats kept to sputter. The Dodgers have produced only three scores over their last 20 innings, an sudden slowdown for a club that was among MLB's top lineups all year.

Closing Innings

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

After a night when the Blue Jays stranded a Fall Classic-record 19 baserunners and fell apart after repeated of wasted opportunities, the fourth contest was brutally efficient. 6 different Blue Jays recorded base hits, five brought home runs and the team converted nearly every run-scoring chance presented in the late stanzas.

Next Up

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

Game 5 approaches with the series even and momentum shifting to Toronto. Los Angeles left-hander Snell (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to halt the Toronto's momentum. Toronto counter with rookie Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA) in a repeat of Game 1, when the Blue Jays chased Snell quickly in an decisive victory.